Oilers know they face tough task against ‘very dangerous’ Wild

EDMONTON -- As one of the most dynamic offensive players in the NHL, Connor McDavid can appreciate similar qualities in an opponent.

The Edmonton Oilers captain is looking forward to facing the Minnesota Wild and their star left wing, Kirill Kaprizov, at Xcel Energy Center on Thursday (8:30 p.m. ET; HULU, ESPN+, SNW).

Kaprizov had an assist in a 5-3 win at Edmonton on Nov. 21, giving the Oilers their first up-close look at him this season. The 27-year-old has 43 points (18 goals, 25 assists) in 27 games.

“He’s a great player,” McDavid said. “I see a team as a whole that is playing really well. He’s playing on a great line [Marco Rossi, Matt Boldy] and he drives that line. They’re tough to play against.”

Selected by Minnesota in the fifth round (No. 135) of the 2015 NHL Draft, Kaprizov is in his fifth season with the Wild. The 27-year-old is three points behind Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (10 goals, 36 assists) in the NHL scoring race and is on pace to surpass the 96 points (46 goals, 50 assists) he had last season.

Kaprizov’s best offensive season to date was in 2022-21, when he had 108 points (47 goals, 61 assists) in 81 games.

“He skates fast, thinks fast and can handle the puck at a high speed,” McDavid said. “He shoots it well. He’s a great player. It’s always fun watching guys like that. I’m a hockey fan at heart and I try to pick different things up from other guys. He’s a great player and a big reason why they’re having success.”

Minnesota (19-5-4) remained tied with the Winnipeg Jets for first in the Central Division after a 5-4 shootout win at the Utah Hockey Club on Tuesday, when Kaprizov scored in the second period. Minnesota has won six of its past seven games; Kaprizov has nine points (five goals, four assists) in that span.

“He’s obviously really skilled and strong and makes really good hockey plays,” Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl said. “He’s got great hockey IQ and he’s pretty greasy to go along with that, so it’s a good recipe.”

The ability to think the game as quickly as he plays it is one of Kaprizov’s strongest attributes. Draisaitl, who became the first NHL player to score 20 goals this season on Tuesday in a 2-1 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning, said it’s an ability that separates the elite players in the League from the really talented ones.

“Certainly, I think the speed you think the game at while plays are developing and understanding where the play is going to be, where it’s going to end up, is big,” he said. “He understands that and it’s fun to watch.”

For Kaprizov, the feeling is mutual; he spoke of McDavid during Minnesota’s visit to Edmonton last month. McDavid is chasing the scoring leaders after a slow start and has 38 points (14 goals, 24 assists) in 25 games, including 17 points (seven goals, 10 assists) in his past nine.

“He’s one of the best players in this league, and I would say in the world,” Kaprizov said. “He’s fast and has good hands. He has everything.”

Edmonton (16-10-2) is third in the Pacific Division and won its third straight Tuesday. The Oilers have won seven of their past nine games.

Yet, as successful as they’ve been of late, traditionally things have not gone well for the Oilers in Minnesota; they’ve lost their past six games in regulation there, dating back to the 2019-20 season. Thursday marks the first of two games for Edmonton at the Wild this season.

“They have a good combination of speed and skill, and they also have the strength and size on their team too,” Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse said. “It’s going to be a hard game in the trenches, in the corners, at the front of the net. And on top of that, you have to deal with their skill and their speed too.”

Kaprizov leads the Wild offensively but has a strong supporting cast around him. Boldy has 28 points (12 goals, 16 assists) in 28 games; Rossi has 24 points (10 goals, 14 assists) in 28 games.

“Every team has a team that when they face-off against, it’s a challenge and they’re a good team,” Nurse said. “Since I’ve been here (2015-16), no matter where they are in the standings it’s a tough, hard-fought game. They’re always tough in front of their net, hard in front of their net, and they have an element of skill too.”

The Oilers feel their defensive game has improved since a 2-4-1 start to the season. They were able to limit Lightning star forward Nikita Kucherov to one assist Tuesday and will face a similar challenge against Kaprizov.

“I think they’re very similar players, 5-on-5 especially,” Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said. “They protect the puck and like to find guys coming in late. They’re very dangerous.

“It’s going to be a big task for us. I think the best way for us to do that is to play solid defense with the five guys that are on the ice. It’s really important, if you want to keep those guys off the score sheet, you have to keep them in their defensive zone as much as possible.”