HIGHLIGHTS
- The Minnesota Wild have finally paid Kirill Kaprizov
- The Russian has signed a historic eight-year, $136 million contract extension
- Read below for the full story
The Minnesota Wild have ended their contract standoff with Kirill Kaprizov, and he’s set to become the highest-paid player in NHL history.
Kaprizov, who was going to be an UFA next summer, has signed a record-setting eight-year, $136 million extension with the Wild. It’s the largest number in total dollars, and AAV at $17 million per season.
Earlier this month, Kaprizov reportedly turned down an eight-year, $128 million offer from Minnesota. That would’ve also made him the richest player in the league as well. Kaprizov made it clear on Sep. 18 that winning is his No. 1 focus, while letting his team deal with the contract talks:
“You guys know I like Minny and everyone knows this,” Kaprizov said, via NHL.com. “We have a lot of time [to sign]. It’s just 2025 and it’s one more year I have. I just want to play hockey and focus and win some games and go into [the Stanley Cup] Playoffs] and win there. Just focus on this now.”
The 28-year-old is heading into the final year of his five-year, $45 million contract. He’ll receive a massive pay raise for 2026-27 after putting pen to paper on this new deal. This also sets the tone for how much Connor McDavid could be paid. The Edmonton Oilers superstar will be an unrestricted free agent next summer, and he’s yet to agree to a new deal with the Stanley Cup finalists.
Kaprizov only played in 41 games in 2024-25 due to injury, but he still produced the goods. The forward scored 25 goals and tallied 31 assists. In five seasons with the Wild, Kaprizov has collected 386 points in 319 contests.
With the salary cap rising, Kaprizov’s deal is likely just the start of a new wave of record-breaking contracts.
