Article: McDavid's Contract Doesn't Change the Kaprizov Calculus

[AKwildkraken]

11 hours ago, MNCountryLife said:

McDavid is the best player in the league.  Leon is arguably in the top 4.

Kirill and Boldy are awesome.  But neither is top 5 in the league....  BG needs to find a way to build a team that can beat Edmonton....That is a tall order.  Especially for the next 3 seasons. 

I just looked this up on AI

"Over the last five seasons (2020-2025), the Minnesota Wild have had a dominant record against the Edmonton Oilers, with a 8-4-0 record as of October 5, 2025, and a strong 11-3-0 record over the last 14 games since October 2019. The Wild have won six of their last seven home games against the Oilers since October 2019, and they hold the second-best point percentage against the Oilers in that period (19-5-0 since the 2010-11 season). " 

I always wanted the Wild to draw Edmonton in the first round in the playoffs to see if their success vs EDM would translate in the playoffs.

[raithis]

15 hours ago, AKwildkraken said:

I just looked this up on AI

"Over the last five seasons (2020-2025), the Minnesota Wild have had a dominant record against the Edmonton Oilers, with a 8-4-0 record as of October 5, 2025, and a strong 11-3-0 record over the last 14 games since October 2019. The Wild have won six of their last seven home games against the Oilers since October 2019, and they hold the second-best point percentage against the Oilers in that period (19-5-0 since the 2010-11 season). " 

I always wanted the Wild to draw Edmonton in the first round in the playoffs to see if their success vs EDM would translate in the playoffs.

Was just about to point this out too.  If you factor out the games where Brodin was injured, it's even more skewed in the Wild's favor.  Edmonton isn't a team the Wild need to find a way to beat.  They already do a better job of that that most teams.

[raithis]

On 10/7/2025 at 11:23 AM, Dean said:

...I’m wrong .

I can agree with you on this part.

[Beast]

The difference between a player that only wants to win a cup and a player that only talks about wanting to win a cup.

I don’t blame anyone for getting paid.  I’m sure nearly all of us would do the same.  But, those are just the facts and perception around it.  McDavid said, “whatever it takes to win one here, I’ll worry about getting paid later.”  Kaprisov and his agent sent both sides back to drawing board over $1M AAV on an already record breaking contract.

Not the greatest look for Kaprizov’s camp in the eyes of Wild fans.  Bad luck for him related to the timing of these things.  But these two deals will be tied together by Wild fans for a while. If the team stinks and he’s not playing a Hart level….he could go from hero to villain quickly.

Your average Wild fan isn’t like these bloggers digging through minute details.  They/we only care about him having the opportunity to do what McDavid did, and chose not to.  Like it or not, that speaks something  to your actual desire to win a cup before anything else.  Right or wrong, thats what it boils down to.

[0 Stanley Cups]

The Oilers have been Stanley Cup contenders the past four seasons, and will be for at least the next three, after that their core will have aged out and they don't have any top prospects in their pipeline since they trade first round picks which is the nature of going all in for a cup, just like PIT.  For the past five seasons during Kaprizov's tenure, the Wild were playoff hopefuls & a wild card team, nobody actually thought we had a chance to win the Cup.

The Wild could not afford to let Kaprizov walk to UFA, especially coming out of the Suter/Parise buyouts.  Kaprizov had all of the leverage in this negotiation, a full NMC, and an owner that should have kept his mouth shut.

Jeff Marek made a great point the other day, it's not the players (whether Kaprizov or McDavid) job to manage the cap.  Fans shouldn't put the onus on the top players, it's the GM's job.  IMO, the two worst contracts on the team are Trenin and Tarasenko's, and I'm rooting for both to turn it around this season, but that remains to be seen, that's $8.25M this season.  So if Kaprizov or McDavid takes less, that doesn't guarantee the GM doesn't waste that money elsewhere.

[TCMooch]

Eichel contact makes Kap contact look even more worse if that was possible…

[MNCountryLife]

On 10/7/2025 at 9:00 PM, AKwildkraken said:

I just looked this up on AI

"Over the last five seasons (2020-2025), the Minnesota Wild have had a dominant record against the Edmonton Oilers, with a 8-4-0 record as of October 5, 2025, and a strong 11-3-0 record over the last 14 games since October 2019. The Wild have won six of their last seven home games against the Oilers since October 2019, and they hold the second-best point percentage against the Oilers in that period (19-5-0 since the 2010-11 season). " 

I always wanted the Wild to draw Edmonton in the first round in the playoffs to see if their success vs EDM would translate in the playoffs.

Brodin is a great equalizer for McDavid.  Pretty cool that we have that kind of record against such a great team.

But there is a difference between beating someone in a regular season game and beating them in a 7 game playoff series.  

[SkolWild73]

For those who are not happy with how much Kap got, I get it.  It is more than I was hoping we would spend too, but I am going to move on because what is done is done.  At least we have some good contracts for the next three years to help balance it out. 

Looking at the UFA's for next year and the year following, it will probably be the highest contract in the league until around 2028 when Mathews and McDavid are up for new contracts unless Kucherov gets more in 2027 at age 34.

[SkolWild73]

Quick question for everyone.  Would you rather have Eichel and Marner at $25.5M for the 4 seasons starting in 2026, or Kap and Boldy at $24M.

Edited 3 hours ago by SkolWild73

[0 Stanley Cups]

23 minutes ago, SkolWild73 said:

Quick question for everyone.  Would you rather have Eichel and Marner at $25.5M for the 4 seasons starting in 2026, or Kap and Boldy at $24M.

I'd rather have Kaprizov and Boldy, I think both are going to have a big year, Kaprizov 100+ points and Boldy 80-95 points this year, but Boldy is going to have a break out year.

Doesn't matter BG has been to risk averse to take a big swing to go after a big time player like Eichel pre-surgery.  Looking back, Eichel probably would've cost Fiala, drafted Boldy, and the Rossi draft pick, which in retrospect would've been worth it.  Obviously Fiala trade doesn't become Ohgren and Faber though from LAK.

[SkolWild73]

2 hours ago, 0 Stanley Cups said:

I'd rather have Kaprizov and Boldy, I think both are going to have a big year, Kaprizov 100+ points and Boldy 80-95 points this year, but Boldy is going to have a break out year.

Doesn't matter BG has been to risk averse to take a big swing to go after a big time player like Eichel pre-surgery.  Looking back, Eichel probably would've cost Fiala, drafted Boldy, and the Rossi draft pick, which in retrospect would've been worth it.  Obviously Fiala trade doesn't become Ohgren and Faber though from LAK.

 Agree and it is for less money