ST. PAUL, Minn. — There’s probably not a person in the Minnesota Wild organization who knows Kirill Kaprizov more than Mats Zuccarello.
They’ve shared a bromance for years, on the ice as linemates and off of it. The Russian superstar is known as “Uncle Kirill” to Zuccarello’s two kids.
They’ve been attached at the hip.
So it was fitting that when Kaprizov’s future was brought up Sunday, Zuccarello joked that the most important thing Minnesota could do to extend the 28-year-old winger is “I get a job of some kind of salary in this team for eight years.”
Whether the Wild can sign Kaprizov to a max, eight-year contract when he’s eligible July 1 — one year removed from unrestricted free agency — will pave the long-term path of this franchise. That’s why Kaprizov’s comments Sunday about re-signing were so encouraging.
“We’ll see,” Kaprizov said, smiling. “I love everything here. It should be all good.”
And the team has an ally in Zuccarello, who feels the way all Wild fans do.
“I think he’s a smart kid and he wants to win, and if he feels like he can do that here, it’s here,” Zuccarello said. “It’s not up to me where he plays. I’ll support him in whatever choice he makes. I love it here, I love Minnesota. As a Minnesota fan, I hope he stays and I’m sure he does.”
Kaprizov has said he loves it in Minnesota and loves this team. But this will largely depend on money and whether one of the best players in the world believes he can be part of a contender in Minnesota.
Kaprizov said Sunday he feels good about the future here, what they have and what’s coming.
“It’s always, every time, it’s about winning,” Kaprizov said. “Everyone wants to win. Me too. I like everything here.”
Star players are almost always underpaid, but Kaprizov likely won’t be. It’d be a shock if the Wild don’t make him the highest-paid winger in the NHL and on par with his current market value for this season ($14.9 million).
Last summer, Evolving Hockey projected $11.49 million over a seven-year term if Kaprizov were a free agent then. That’s before the NHL announced the sharp increase in the salary cap for the upcoming three seasons. So, in a $104 million cap world in which Kaprizov’s extension would kick in before the 2026-27 season, that $11.49 million would be the equivalent of $13.6 million, which is arguably an underpayment.
Here’s a look at where franchise forwards slot into their team’s cap structure:
There are 31 other markets and franchises in the NHL that all offer their own benefits, from winning in the future to lifestyle off the ice. Kaprizov previously told The Athletic, “I like pretty big cities where we can go walk outside a little bit and take in a good restaurant at dinner time.”
With the 2026-27 salary-cap ceiling expected to skyrocket to $104 million and the 2027-28 salary-cap ceiling expected to jump to $113.5 million, there’s no doubt Kaprizov would have several enticing opportunities if he opted to wait until the summer of 2026 to sign elsewhere.
But as owner Craig Leipold expressed before the season, there’s only one team that can offer Kaprizov eight years. As a pending unrestricted free agent, unless Kaprizov was traded this offseason or next season like Mikko Rantanen was from Colorado to Carolina and to eventually Dallas, the max term another team could offer Kaprizov is seven years.
So let’s say the Wild offer him $14 million ($112 million over life of contract), $15 million ($120 million) or $16 million ($128 million) a season. Another team would have to offer him $16 million a year for Kaprizov to reach the same $112 million, $17.1 million for him to reach $120 million or $18.2 million for him to reach $128 million.
But remember, it would be risky for the Wild to give him an eight-year term at such a large percentage of the cap. Kaprizov got to the NHL late, so by the time the extension would kick in, he’ll already be 29 years old.
There’s injury history to consider as well. According to league sources, Kaprizov started dealing with an abdominal area injury around Christmastime. He was first shut down coming out of the holiday break, then considered “day to day.”
Kaprizov missed a month and then returned for three games before undergoing surgery. He then missed another two months and returned with four games left in the season, scoring two goals and an assist, including the overtime winner, against San Jose. He just had his best NHL playoff performance, with five goals and nine points against the Golden Knights in the first-round loss.
“I think before surgery, when I come back, I think it should be harder,” Kaprizov said. “But it was not bad.”
But the big worry is if those abdominal problems were caused by other underlying issues that could ultimately jump to the forefront and need repair. After all, when a hockey player is dealing with core muscle issues, it’s usually because something is out of alignment elsewhere, like their hips or legs, forcing them to compensate.
Just look at Joel Eriksson Ek, who had myriad leg issues this season and revealed on Sunday he’ll need core muscle surgery in New York next week, likely from the same doctor who performed Kaprizov’s.
All Kaprizov has said about the cause of the injury is “something happened.” He said he feels good going into the offseason and doesn’t anticipate needing any further surgery.
President of hockey operations and general manager Bill Guerin is scheduled to hold his end-of-the-season news conference Tuesday with head coach John Hynes.
When asked in February during Kaprizov’s rehab if the superstar’s injuries the past few seasons give him any concern about committing long-term, Guerin told The Athletic: “None. He’s in unbelievable shape. He’s a machine. I have no concerns about that. Players get hurt.”
Those injury issues may actually be another big reason why Kaprizov may be swayed to sign on the dotted line as soon as July 1.
After missing half the season, is he really willing to risk waiting and allowing a potential injury-riddled 2025-26 season to cost him significant money, whether with the Wild or another team in free agency?
Kirill Kaprizov talks about his leadership throughout the 2024-2025 season how Minnesota has become a second home
Watch full interviews here » https://t.co/qkIPkhkbxZ pic.twitter.com/pRpDRiSglx
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) May 4, 2025
The bottom line is this: Risk aside, no part of the Wild’s three- or five-year plan involves a scenario without Kaprizov. He’s their Nathan MacKinnon, their Sidney Crosby, their Connor McDavid. You lose him, and there’s no telling when, or if, you’d be able to replace him. This group hasn’t been able to get over the hump, a first-round series, with him. How much harder would it be to do so without him?
“I think he’s one of the best players in the whole league,” Eriksson Ek said.
If the Wild can’t sign him this summer, it’ll become a talking point and issue throughout next season. And the closer Kaprizov gets to free agency, you’d think there’d be a temptation to see what else is out there. The Wild can’t afford to lose the best player in franchise history for nothing, so they’d likely be compelled to consider moving him at the deadline. Kaprizov has a full no-move clause, which also complicates matters and could affect a potential return.
The good news for the Wild fans is that it doesn’t seem like it’ll get that far. Signs are positive that things will get worked out, from Kaprizov’s comments to the informal meetings agent Paul Theofanous has had with Guerin and assistant GM Mat Sells throughout the season.
Kaprizov will spend most of the summer back home in his village in Russia, hanging with family, fishing and camping. But he said he feels really comfortable in the Twin Cities, living in downtown Minneapolis. “It’s nice,” he said. “If you want to go to a good restaurant, if you want to go to bar, you can go bar. It has everything in the city.”
What’s more telling, however, is how teammates and staff have said Kaprizov has embraced a bigger leadership role with the team. He’s more vocal. The ‘A’ on his sweater is indicative of the ownership he’s taken.
“Now I speak a little better English, it’s easier for me to talk with the boys,” Kaprizov said. “Five years I’m here already. I feel more comfy. Every year, more and more, it’s like my home now, my second home.”
Shayna Goldman contributed to this story.
(Photo: Stephen R. Sylvanie / Imagn Images)