Article: Three Contending Teams Could Target Kaprizov If He Doesn't Extend In Minnesota

[MacGyver]

11 minutes ago, mnfaninnc said:

why I didn't see him moving to a big city. All of the above would be requirements for him.

I'm not sure the big city markets come with a "requirement" that you participate in marketing campaigns for any entity. That is a players decision I would think. There are usually other high profile players willing to fill those roles in the large markets. 

I have said all along Kaprizov didn't choose to come to Minnesota it was his only way to get into the NHL. He came to the NHL for one reason only, to get his name on the Cup. I don't think he cares who he does it with but I do think he wants to secure that goal sooner rather than later. How he views where this team is positioned to help him do that we don't know. He is in for another mediocre to tough year again next year and I think he knows that. 

[walt]

No. 5 year 50 million extension.. Hopefully he likes the state/team enough to stay. But unfortunately if he refuses to sign next off-season the wild will probably be forced to trade him and he will hold all the cards. So let's hope he enjoys playing here.

[Mateo3xm]

12 hours ago, mnfaninnc said:

The Buffalo example is a perfect example of why would you move? Our prospect pool is pretty good too. I think he'd stand just as good of a chance winning here than in Buffalo.

I have to disagree with you here.

 

 

Centers

Tage Thompson( is 26yrs old already scored 90pts in a season is a true #1 center)

Dylan cozens( is 23 and has a 68pt is a 

solid #2 center)

Ryan McLeod(is 24 and a decent #3 center)

They have Jiri Kulick who is a perfect future #3 center and has produced very well in the ahl

 

Wingers

Alex Tuch who is 28yrs old and a 50-70pt player who also has played C

They have JJ Peterka who is 22 yrs old and scored 28 goals and 50pts last season in the NHL.

Jack Quinn who is 22 yrs old and tore up the ahl and had 37pts his rookie season in the NHL but had injuries last year. He’s easily a future 60-70pt player that will score 25-35goals a season 

Zack benson who is 19yrs old and was so talented he played in the NHL at 18yrs old and got 30pts his rookie season.

They also have Jason Zucker, Jordan Greenway

 

On D they have 

R. Dahlin 

O. Power

M. Samulsson

B. Byram

 

Most of those players don’t need an introduction. Three of them were picked in the top 4 in the first round. Samulsson is a great shut down D.

 

 

They have more young high quality nhl players than we do by far and their prospect pool is loaded. There’s a huge difference between them and us as far as young talent and potential.Another thing to consider is most of their players are big. Most are at least 6’1 except Bensen.

Buffalo has the talent to win a cup or make a deep run in 2-3 years. The only thing is they’re the youngest team in the nhl right now. 

 

So when you say they have just as good of a chance to win as we do, I don’t agree. Look at what their young players have done and they’re still 2-3 years away from entering their prime.

Mn has a hodgepodge of over the hill players and a few very talented up and coming players.

 

[Mateo3xm]

3 hours ago, MacGyver said:

I'm not sure the big city markets come with a "requirement" that you participate in marketing campaigns for any entity. That is a players decision I would think. There are usually other high profile players willing to fill those roles in the large markets. 

I have said all along Kaprizov didn't choose to come to Minnesota it was his only way to get into the NHL. He came to the NHL for one reason only, to get his name on the Cup. I don't think he cares who he does it with but I do think he wants to secure that goal sooner rather than later. How he views where this team is positioned to help him do that we don't know. He is in for another mediocre to tough year again next year and I think he knows that. 

Could not agree more

[mnfaninnc]

10 hours ago, Mateo3xm said:

So when you say they have just as good of a chance to win as we do, I don’t agree. Look at what their young players have done and they’re still 2-3 years away from entering their prime.

Yet, while we are getting 1st round exits consistently in the playoffs, exactly how many invitations have the Sabres gotten recently? If it's winning he's looking for, I just don't think that Buffalo has it. They have a lot of young players playing on their team, but a lot of these guys are at this level before they should be. Our guys are/were marinating and developing in lower levels. 

Kaprizov, if he's looking at winning, will likely pick a team that has been or should be a final 4 candidate team. To me, Buffalo right now is a team that's just happy to get there.

[RedLake]

Highest income tax state in the nation= Kap saying bye bye.

[MacGyver]

8 hours ago, mnfaninnc said:

Kaprizov, if he's looking at winning, will likely pick a team that has been or should be a final 4 candidate team. To me, Buffalo right now is a team that's just happy to get there.

I agree with you here but I also agree with Mateo's take on Buffalo. They have the talent in place to accelerate up the performance ladder faster than we do. We just have too many hopes pinned on guys who have never stepped on NHL ice yet or are even in country yet. When a high caliber player spends a couple seasons missing the playoffs or getting ousted early I think it's difficult for them to look at the team and envision themselves hoisting the Cup in a season or two with that team. 

The front office disarray Guerin has created does not help the overall status of the team either. This is a factor that gets consideration when a player is making choices on whether to stay or leave as well. 

[Dango]

  I dont believe Kaprizov is going to take a major salary cut in his 2nd major contract  because he wants a cup maybe  his  final year or 2   ,   Buffalo wont pay him enough because they probably cant as history shows .

[FredJohnson]

Three Contending Teams Could Target Kaprizov If He Doesn't Extend In Minnesota

Minnesota sports fans are so fragile. SMDH. SO WHAT IF HE DOES LEAVE?? He won't take your birthday with him. Stop letting sports/entertainment hold such power over you, everyone.

[Will D. Ness]

36 minutes ago, FredJohnson said:

Three Contending Teams Could Target Kaprizov If He Doesn't Extend In Minnesota

Minnesota sports fans are so fragile. SMDH. SO WHAT IF HE DOES LEAVE?? He won't take your birthday with him. Stop letting sports/entertainment hold such power over you, everyone.

Hey ever think he might leave because of the defeated pitiful state of fandom itself?

[Mateo3xm]

15 hours ago, mnfaninnc said:

how many invitations have the Sabres gotten recently?

I stated this in my comment. They were literally the youngest team in the nhl last year and have been one of the youngest teams for years because of trades and terrible management. Their average team age was 25 years old. The average team age of each nhl Stanley cup winning team the last 20 years is between 27-29 years old. They are a young team, that’s why. They are loaded with talent but most of their talent is 2-3 years away from even entering their prime.

If they keep the majority of their young talented players 2-3 years I think they have a far better chance at a deep playoff run than we do. Our team continues to do the same thing year after year and we continue to get the same results. I get what you’re saying though. I don’t think he wants to go to Buffalo because of their reputation. Most likely he will want to go to a team that needs 1 or 2 pieces to make a deep run but that team obviously needs to have cap space to take Kap.
 

 

 

[Mateo3xm]

13 hours ago, RedLake said:

Highest income tax state in the nation= Kap saying bye bye.

Exactly. I think he will go to a place with no state tax or at least very low. We are at a severe disadvantage with our taxes in Mn.

[WheelSnipeCelly]

1 hour ago, Mateo3xm said:

Exactly. I think he will go to a place with no state tax or at least very low. We are at a severe disadvantage with our taxes in Mn.

One positive is that there are 15 teams that are worse off than the Wild. In true Minnesota fashion, we are ranked in the middle (16th) of Tax Rates in the league:

From Highest to Lowest Tax Rates

1. New York Rangers: 54.93%
2. Ottawa Senators: 53.1%
3. Toronto Maple Leafs: 53.1%
4. Montreal Canadiens: 53.01%
5. Vancouver Canucks: 53.01%
6. Buffalo Sabres: 51.06%
7. New York Islanders: 51.06%
8. Winnipeg Jets: 50.06%
9. Anaheim Ducks: 49.6%
10. Los Angeles Kings: 49.6%
11. San Jose Sharks: 49.6%
12. Calgary Flames: 47.61%
13. Edmonton Oilers: 47.61%
14. Washington Capitals: 47.17%
15. New Jersey Devils: 47%
16. Minnesota Wild: 46.38%
17. Philadelphia Flyers: 43.44%
18. Detroit Red Wings: 43.23%
19. Pittsburgh Penguins: 42.65%
20. Columbus Blue Jackets: 42.57%
21. St. Louis Blues: 42.53%
22. Boston Bruins: 41.58%
23. Chicago Blackhawks: 41.53%
24. Carolina Hurricanes: 41.33%
25. Utah Hockey Club: 41.13%
26. Colorado Avalanche: 40.98%
27. Dallas Stars: 36.58%
28. Nashville Predators: 36.58%
29. Vegas Golden Knights: 36.58%
30. Seattle Kraken: 36.58%
31. Florida Panthers: 36.58%
32. Tampa Bay Lightning: 36.58%

Obviously the teams at the bottom of the list definitely have an advantage, but the Wild could always be in a worse spot!

[OldDutchChip]

On 8/24/2024 at 8:22 AM, mnfaninnc said:

This was precisely my point in why I didn't think that Kaprizov would be the Kaptain, and why I didn't see him moving to a big city. All of the above would be requirements for him. I think he likes being in a mid market that acts like a big hockey market. Miami might be too big for him. Tampa probably not. NYR too big, Jersey too big. I could see him enjoying Denver. 

But, Colorado and Tampa, in Kalisha's article, are on the back 9 of their window. If Kaprizov likes winning so much, maybe he becomes a hockey mercenary?

Fully disagree with your take buddy

i don’t think NY or any posh destination is too much for Kap

he has been exposed to fame plenty

And I do believe Kap wants captaincy and full leadership (it’s a no brainer move for us too, yet it’s still Spurge)

 

 

[mnfaninnc]

4 hours ago, OldDutchChip said:

Fully disagree with your take buddy

i don’t think NY or any posh destination is too much for Kap

I simply don't think he likes that doing it in a different language. 

Have you noticed how many great athletes get chewed up and thrown out of the NY market? The Yankees were notorious for it! One reason is that so much more is expected of them and the spot light is constantly on. In Russian, I don't think he has a problem, in English, while it's coming along, I don't think he's comfortable with that, at least not yet.

I think he enjoys a bit more of a rural setting, and that can be a little hard in the Northeast. It's just my opinion, and I've got nothing to back it up with. 

Looking at WSC's list, I have to believe this is a Federal + State tax rate. I appreciate him going to the trouble to post that, it is helpful to see where we stand. Boy, the Canadian teams are getting killed on taxes! I realize that these salaries are in the highest tax brackets, but the government getting over half of an athlete's salary seems a bit unfair to me. Seems to me that their should be a maximum they can take from a person (everyone included) and it would be down under 20%. But, that's another discussion for, likely, a different venue. 

[FredJohnson]

14 hours ago, Will D. Ness said:

Hey ever think he might leave because of the defeated pitiful state of fandom itself?

Another reason for fans to lighten up.

[OldDutchChip]

9 hours ago, mnfaninnc said:

I simply don't think he likes that doing it in a different language. 

Have you noticed how many great athletes get chewed up and thrown out of the NY market? The Yankees were notorious for it! One reason is that so much more is expected of them and the spot light is constantly on. In Russian, I don't think he has a problem, in English, while it's coming along, I don't think he's comfortable with that, at least not yet.

I think he enjoys a bit more of a rural setting, and that can be a little hard in the Northeast. It's just my opinion, and I've got nothing to back it up with. 

Looking at WSC's list, I have to believe this is a Federal + State tax rate. I appreciate him going to the trouble to post that, it is helpful to see where we stand. Boy, the Canadian teams are getting killed on taxes! I realize that these salaries are in the highest tax brackets, but the government getting over half of an athlete's salary seems a bit unfair to me. Seems to me that their should be a maximum they can take from a person (everyone included) and it would be down under 20%. But, that's another discussion for, likely, a different venue. 

with your take you don't take into account that he spent few years in moscow (which is as just as vibrant and brutal of a city as NY), was the face of russian hockey when they won olympics and ever since, dating someone who is again from Moscow and is i think a model or something, and whose parents are music moguls in again Moscow (Malikov is long line of musicians) so probably are accustom to fancy things and posh culture. all that adds up to (a) not really be scared off by what big cities here present and (b) not really need to chase dollar

those are also my takes only, but i'd wager that we push on captaincy, as that MAY influence his decisioning to say - hey they gave the WHOLE team to me. just like OVI i won't chase the ring, i will push and get it MYSELF. 

give him a C. potentially look to still make a splash with a trade this year to bring in players on his timeline (yes sacrifice some can't miss youth) and give your best chance to retain top 5 talent. or i guess trade him for Boeser and a first round pick (late first) 😢

[MacGyver]

I agree with ODC on Kaprizov not being reluctant about the big city lights. As far as the C maybe offer it to him and see what his reaction is. If he is exuberant and accepts it outright it could be a sign of what he's thinking. If he is reluctant or even turns it down that tells you something else. Flush him out a bit if you will. 

That is if he hasn't already dropped indications of his intentions internally.  

[Protec]

There's a good chance Kaprizov will be loyal to MN. Nobody needs to jump to conclusions. 

One thing is clear, certain blue States sure tax the crud out of people and mismanage things to the detriment of most people. It's not bad enough the taxation but if it also runs off the best Russian hockey player ever to wear a Wild jersey, that's salt in the wound. 

[Protec]

I'm not even gonna mention Canada, they canceled Don Cherry.

[mnfaninnc]

On 8/26/2024 at 9:43 AM, OldDutchChip said:

with your take you don't take into account that he spent few years in moscow (which is as just as vibrant and brutal of a city as NY), was the face of russian hockey when they won olympics and ever since, dating someone who is again from Moscow and is i think a model or something, and whose parents are music moguls in again Moscow (Malikov is long line of musicians) so probably are accustom to fancy things and posh culture. all that adds up to (a) not really be scared off by what big cities here present and (b) not really need to chase dollar

I can absolutely take that into account, but let's also look at his actions. Since I'm out of market, essentially all I get is the TV version of the Wild. However, how many intermission interviews has he done? I typically am watching on a delay so I fast forward through that portion to catch up, but every time I'm watching live, and the tendency is to interview the guy who scored, he doesn't get that interview when he scores. Why is that? Is it the interviewers who are bypassing Kaprizov? I don't think so.

When Kaprizov makes the All Star game, how many times does he stop to chat with the media when asked to? He doesn't when I'm watching and please note I do not watch much of the All Star festivities. 

Is his name and pictures seen around town? Does he go out often? It's been a few years, but when he did the national commercial for Great Clips or Sports Clips, he sat and said nothing. I haven't seen him on any ads when watching, though, since it's through ESPN+, I probably wouldn't see local ads. 

So, even though he has performed on the biggest stage in Russia, and been the face of his franchise over there, over here I still think he lacks the confidence to do this stuff in English, and in the big cities, his availability will be demanded from the press. I think Guerin has been able to protect him here. National Commercials don't just help him, they also help the franchise, and we have a very marketable young Russian superstar who would help our team. 97 jerseys are all over the place, yet he still seems to enjoy his privacy. 

All of this is speculation, but from what I'm seeing, I don't think he's comfortable with English yet and kind of likes not having to be so public. Now, if that changes this season and he is doing a lot of short cliche interviews, well, that would signal to me he is finally comfortable with a foreign language.

[OldDutchChip]

45 minutes ago, mnfaninnc said:

I can absolutely take that into account, but let's also look at his actions. Since I'm out of market, essentially all I get is the TV version of the Wild. However, how many intermission interviews has he done? I typically am watching on a delay so I fast forward through that portion to catch up, but every time I'm watching live, and the tendency is to interview the guy who scored, he doesn't get that interview when he scores. Why is that? Is it the interviewers who are bypassing Kaprizov? I don't think so.

When Kaprizov makes the All Star game, how many times does he stop to chat with the media when asked to? He doesn't when I'm watching and please note I do not watch much of the All Star festivities. 

Is his name and pictures seen around town? Does he go out often? It's been a few years, but when he did the national commercial for Great Clips or Sports Clips, he sat and said nothing. I haven't seen him on any ads when watching, though, since it's through ESPN+, I probably wouldn't see local ads. 

So, even though he has performed on the biggest stage in Russia, and been the face of his franchise over there, over here I still think he lacks the confidence to do this stuff in English, and in the big cities, his availability will be demanded from the press. I think Guerin has been able to protect him here. National Commercials don't just help him, they also help the franchise, and we have a very marketable young Russian superstar who would help our team. 97 jerseys are all over the place, yet he still seems to enjoy his privacy. 

All of this is speculation, but from what I'm seeing, I don't think he's comfortable with English yet and kind of likes not having to be so public. Now, if that changes this season and he is doing a lot of short cliche interviews, well, that would signal to me he is finally comfortable with a foreign language.

maybe there is a nation wide unofficial rule of "bypassing" russian athletes in favor of others due to political climate? hockey in general is a forgotten sport, its all baseball and basketball, and next we'll have football. so if there's a national spotlight afforded to an NHL player, it'll likely go to an american or canadian player as oppose to a russian. maybe it trickles down to local marketing too?  i dunno. 🤔 

[mnfaninnc]

I thought the Ovechkin/Backstrom commercial for life insurance was hilarious!

[Mateo3xm]

On 8/25/2024 at 4:18 PM, WheelSnipeCelly said:

One positive is that there are 15 teams that are worse off than the Wild. In true Minnesota fashion, we are ranked in the middle (16th) of Tax Rates in the league:

From Highest to Lowest Tax Rates

1. New York Rangers: 54.93%
2. Ottawa Senators: 53.1%
3. Toronto Maple Leafs: 53.1%
4. Montreal Canadiens: 53.01%
5. Vancouver Canucks: 53.01%
6. Buffalo Sabres: 51.06%
7. New York Islanders: 51.06%
8. Winnipeg Jets: 50.06%
9. Anaheim Ducks: 49.6%
10. Los Angeles Kings: 49.6%
11. San Jose Sharks: 49.6%
12. Calgary Flames: 47.61%
13. Edmonton Oilers: 47.61%
14. Washington Capitals: 47.17%
15. New Jersey Devils: 47%
16. Minnesota Wild: 46.38%
17. Philadelphia Flyers: 43.44%
18. Detroit Red Wings: 43.23%
19. Pittsburgh Penguins: 42.65%
20. Columbus Blue Jackets: 42.57%
21. St. Louis Blues: 42.53%
22. Boston Bruins: 41.58%
23. Chicago Blackhawks: 41.53%
24. Carolina Hurricanes: 41.33%
25. Utah Hockey Club: 41.13%
26. Colorado Avalanche: 40.98%
27. Dallas Stars: 36.58%
28. Nashville Predators: 36.58%
29. Vegas Golden Knights: 36.58%
30. Seattle Kraken: 36.58%
31. Florida Panthers: 36.58%
32. Tampa Bay Lightning: 36.58%

Obviously the teams at the bottom of the list definitely have an advantage, but the Wild could always be in a worse spot!

This is true. Being a fairly small market team doesn’t help either. We are still kind of in purgatory and that’s why I really want us to do a true rebuild because Mn isn’t really known as a super desirable place to play.

[MacGyver]

46.38% tax rate. Time for them damn millionaires to pay up! Almost half isn't near enough!!  These figures are obviously federal rates but what income level are they based on?

Edited August 29 by MacGyver