Can Kirill Kaprizov Live Up To Highest-Paid-In-the-NHL Billing?

4 hours ago, Sam said:

Who the hell is Cyrus Randingo, Red?

He plays for Sunnyvale. On a line with Rickey and Bubbles.

I have no problem with Leipold saying he's going to pay whatever it takes to get it done. If OCL would be non-committal and trying to drive a hard bargain, Kaprizov just says that he'll play out his contract and sign a new one July 1, 2026 with a different team. Kaprizov has most of the leverage in this negotiation, like it or not. His only risk is a serious or career ending injury in the 2025-2026 season, and that is a risk. Cheaper for the Wild to sign him to a record setting contract this July 1st rather than trying to sign his replacement to an even higher contract July 1, 2026.

I think I saw a video of Kaprizov and Zuccarello at a Loon game recently. Is that something that someone who doesn't want to stick around does? Kaprizov is the face of Wild hockey for now and he knows it and embraces it. Embrace him back and figure the rest out afterwards.

Get Horvat and Benn here.

1 hour ago, RedLake said:

Get Horvat and Benn here.

Benn is 35 or 36. Why? Wild were the second oldest team in the league this past season. Fleury's retirement will bring down the average age but still high. Aging veterans past their prime are not the answer. Horvat makes more sense being 29 or 30 but he's got 5 or 6 years left on his contract, which isn't horrible at $8.5M.

27 minutes ago, ArizonaWildFan said:

Aging veterans past their prime are not the answer.

Not according to Hynze.

4 hours ago, ArizonaWildFan said:

Benn is 35 or 36. Why? Wild were the second oldest team in the league this past season. Fleury's retirement will bring down the average age but still high. Aging veterans past their prime are not the answer. Horvat makes more sense being 29 or 30 but he's got 5 or 6 years left on his contract, which isn't horrible at $8.5M.

Cause Benn is a badass and would give the Wild a third line with Hartman in next years playoffs. Horvat can play second line center or possibly 1st line. Both are better options than lil bandy Rossi anyway you look at it.

1 hour ago, RedLake said:

Cause Benn is a badass and would give the Wild a third line with Hartman in next years playoffs.

Through 10 games in this year's playoffs, Benn has three points and is a -6. You are half right, bad, but not badass. Rossi had the same number of points in only six games and was +/-0. Better than Rossi anyway you look at it? How about if you look at it realistically.

Best trade the Wild could make this off season is Bill Guerin and John Hynes for Julien BriseBois and Jon Cooper of the Tampa Bay Lightening. 90% of the problems solved!

It would foolish and irresponsible to sign him to a record deal. It puts the Wild in another precarious situation that they just spent years waiting to get out of. And it's STILL not over. Three more years of nearly $2M for Parise/Suter. Kaprizov, thanks to Logan Stanley, is now injury prone (to put it mildly) and paying someone that much money that may only play 50% of the time is insanely risky.

It also keeps the Wild where they have always been, a bubble team. (This is exactly where Leipold wants the team, just good enough for consistent revenue. It's all he really cares about.) In order to make the entire team better, they need more skill and depth. Relying on one line to carry the team all the time will never result in a championship.

I never really cared for him but you can't argue with the results. Tom Brady did it right and he's got the rings to show for it. Team first, if you want to win.

I would personally shop Kaprizov this summer and see if a blockbuster deal could be made. Either straight up for a different superstar or Kaprizov for two top 30 forwards. I said it before, and most of the comments here prove it, Minnesotans love players not teams. I would rather walk into the X and see Lord Stanley's Cup in a glass case in the lobby, than a #97 hanging in the rafters with nothing to show for it. But that's just me.

19 hours ago, ArizonaWildFan said:

I have no problem with Leipold saying he's going to pay whatever it takes to get it done. If OCL would be non-committal and trying to drive a hard bargain, Kaprizov just says that he'll play out his contract and sign a new one July 1, 2026 with a different team. Kaprizov has most of the leverage in this negotiation, like it or not. His only risk is a serious or career ending injury in the 2025-2026 season, and that is a risk. Cheaper for the Wild to sign him to a record setting contract this July 1st rather than trying to sign his replacement to an even higher contract July 1, 2026.

I think I saw a video of Kaprizov and Zuccarello at a Loon game recently. Is that something that someone who doesn't want to stick around does? Kaprizov is the face of Wild hockey for now and he knows it and embraces it. Embrace him back and figure the rest out afterwards.

I think I saw a video of Kaprizov and Zuccarello at a Loon game recently.  

1. You think or you know? need to be certain with these kind of assertions!
2. I think i may have seen Kaprizov at a store buying dumplings? Is that something that someone who doesn't want to stick around does? (yes - people live and do stuff - doesn't mean anything - he may also bike, drive, poop, drink beer and eats pizza)

I do believe he is not signing with us, but that doesn't mean i don't think of him as the best player in the world and want him here. 

9 hours ago, ArizonaWildFan said:

Best trade the Wild could make this off season is Bill Guerin and John Hynes for Julien BriseBois and Jon Cooper of the Tampa Bay Lightening. 90% of the problems solved!

why? do you think Kuch and Vasy will come along too for Freddy and Wally?

the coach here is not the problem. it's the lack of skill. 

22 minutes ago, Scalptrash said:

It would foolish and irresponsible to sign him to a record deal. It puts the Wild in another precarious situation that they just spent years waiting to get out of. And it's STILL not over. Three more years of nearly $2M for Parise/Suter. Kaprizov, thanks to Logan Stanley, is now injury prone (to put it mildly) and paying someone that much money that may only play 50% of the time is insanely risky.

It also keeps the Wild where they have always been, a bubble team. (This is exactly where Leipold wants the team, just good enough for consistent revenue. It's all he really cares about.) In order to make the entire team better, they need more skill and depth. Relying on one line to carry the team all the time will never result in a championship.

I never really cared for him but you can't argue with the results. Tom Brady did it right and he's got the rings to show for it. Team first, if you want to win.

I would personally shop Kaprizov this summer and see if a blockbuster deal could be made. Either straight up for a different superstar or Kaprizov for two top 30 forwards. I said it before, and most of the comments here prove it, Minnesotans love players not teams. I would rather walk into the X and see Lord Stanley's Cup in a glass case in the lobby, than a #97 hanging in the rafters with nothing to show for it. But that's just me.

Kap for Boeser? Kap for Anders Lee? Kap for Alex Tuch? that's silly. 

Or maybe its better to sign MJ + Boeser + Nelson for 3 and 8 and 7 (18) then Kap for 15? 

Not sure which option is foolish....

3 minutes ago, OldDutchChip said:

Kap for Boeser? Kap for Anders Lee? Kap for Alex Tuch? that's silly. 

Or maybe its better to sign MJ + Boeser + Nelson for 3 and 8 and 7 (18) then Kap for 15? 

Not sure which option is foolish....

 

Are those superstars? Or even top 30 players? I didn't specify any names because I don't have anyone specific in mind. I said "shop" to see what you could get. You're thinking small, as usual, and your example proves it. You would seriously resign Johansson? Really? And both Brocks? I'm starting to think you are Bill Guerin, you like older mediocre players that you can overpay for less than average production.

1 minute ago, Scalptrash said:

Are those superstars? Or even top 30 players? I didn't specify any names because I don't have anyone specific in mind. I said "shop" to see what you could get. You're thinking small, as usual, and your example proves it. You would seriously resign Johansson? Really? And both Brocks? I'm starting to think you are Bill Guerin, you like older mediocre players that you can overpay for less than average production.

that was a joke about Brocks (i don't want any brocks on this team)

as for top 30 players - who are they? do they

1 hour ago, OldDutchChip said:

You think or you know? need to be certain with these kind of assertions!

You make assertions on much less.  You declare these assertions with absolute certainty and call it common sense, but it's based on your biases and what makes sense to you.  In the end, it's an opinion derived by.your observations and your own reasoning - just like everyone else here.

Keep in mind that the motivations of a person aren't always common sense or rational.  We can weigh all the factors and assess probability, and his attendance at a sporting event here helps support that he likes it here a tiny bit.  Not much, but it all adds up.  I mean, it would be different if he were seen at a game in Colorado or something, right?

Does it mean he is invested in Minnesota and wants to re-sign here?  Maybe.  Maybe not.  None of know until he definitively says one way or another and/or he actually re-signs.

That said, the cumulative amount of information does seem to suggest that we have a better chance at him staying than leaving.

On 5/10/2025 at 2:20 PM, Protec said:

Don't get me wrong. #97 is the most well-liked, well-respected players in Wild history. His recent injury came on the back end of a record setting pace scoring. That's not really an indictment of his lack of durability. 

I wouldn't characterize a big contract for him, the same as a Parise/Suter deal. It's more the level of gun-shy from watching MN suffer consequences of such large, lengthy contracts that ended poorly. To a lesser degree but equally important, the more you invest into Kaprizov, the less money remains for upgrades elsewhere. 

Right now #97 is a top weapon for MN, with Boldy and Ek, MN is super top-heavy. The savings with Kirill, if possible would allow MN to add some pieces that takes pressure off Kaprizov and is therefore significant. The Crosby example is perfect. He took somewhat of a shave to help his team win and they did. If #97 and his agent get greedy, is it unfair or wrong? Probably not, but will it help the Wild in the bigger picture??? Only if Kaprizov finds a new, even better level to carry the team. 

I tend to look at Cup winning teams and how they're balanced, getting nice contributions down the lineup. The Leafs or Oilers from modern times have heavy cap invested into the top of their roster and it hadn't paid dividends. Close but no cigar. To me, getting Kaprizov help hinges on his number and new contract. I.e. what's left???

Normally I'd be on board with this line of thinking, but his contract wouldn't even go into effect until next season.  With how the salary cap is projected to jump in the coming seasons, this won't have as much of an effect as it would on the past.

Do I think they should overpay for a free agent?  No.  I'm concerned that we will make a huge splash just because we can and it won't be the right fit for the team and will saddle us with a bad contract for years after the player is no longer effective (both Brocks seem destined to be a problem if signed for longer, lucrative contracts).

Is Kaprizov the one we should worry about?  I don't think so.  I hope we don't throw a Brinks truck at him just to make sure he signs, but if we pay him a little more than Draisaitl, that contract won't even be the most a player is getting paid by the time it goes into effect, and it will be closer to what he is making now as a percentage of the salary cap a few years down the road.

20 minutes ago, raithis said:

You make assertions on much less.  You declare these assertions with absolute certainty and call it common sense, but it's based on your biases and what makes sense to you.  In the end, it's an opinion derived by.your observations and your own reasoning - just like everyone else here.

Keep in mind that the motivations of a person aren't always common sense or rational.  We can weigh all the factors and assess probability, and his attendance at a sporting event here helps support that he likes it here a tiny bit.  Not much, but it all adds up.  I mean, it would be different if he were seen at a game in Colorado or something, right?

Does it mean he is invested in Minnesota and wants to re-sign here?  Maybe.  Maybe not.  None of know until he definitively says one way or another and/or he actually re-signs.

That said, the cumulative amount of information does seem to suggest that we have a better chance at him staying than leaving.

so was he at the loon game or not?

Both he and Zuccarello last Saturday.

Lots of good, well thought out responses, and some pure crap. I keep going back to the thought that you pay Kaprizov now or you pay his replacement(s) more later. And you know or are pretty certain what you are getting with KK.

When you listen to interviews with teammates, how often do you hear that Kirill is the most skilled, dedicated, motivated and hardest working player on the roster? They don't have to say that and they don't have to kiss his rear end. But they do, because it's true. You don't hear that about all the stars in all the other locker rooms.

Getting back to coaching and managing, the best throughout history are the ones that take responsibility for the losses and give credit to the players for the wins. I love it when the losing coach says that he didn't have his team prepared, didn't make the correct adjustments, that he didn't have the right plan in place, that he could have done better or more. Have you ever heard GMBG admit that he made a mistake? I guess it has become more about job security than it is about success and winning.

The players see and hear that and there's a buy-in and respect. When Guerin and Hynes talked about Rossi's usage in the playoffs, it was very contradictory. They kept talking about Hartman playing well and moving up, but not Gaudreau, Nyquist, Johansson and Zuccarello having sub-par performances and not moving down. If Trenin and Brazeau played as well as BG, JH and many of the posters here claim, why weren't they getting more minutes on a higher line?

OK, ODC, pick me apart some more!

17 minutes ago, ArizonaWildFan said:

Lots of good, well thought out responses, and some pure crap. I keep going back to the thought that you pay Kaprizov now or you pay his replacement(s) more later. And you know or are pretty certain what you are getting with KK.

When you listen to interviews with teammates, how often do you hear that Kirill is the most skilled, dedicated, motivated and hardest working player on the roster? They don't have to say that and they don't have to kiss his rear end. But they do, because it's true. You don't hear that about all the stars in all the other locker rooms.

Getting back to coaching and managing, the best throughout history are the ones that take responsibility for the losses and give credit to the players for the wins. I love it when the losing coach says that he didn't have his team prepared, didn't make the correct adjustments, that he didn't have the right plan in place, that he could have done better or more. Have you ever heard GMBG admit that he made a mistake? I guess it has become more about job security than it is about success and winning.

The players see and hear that and there's a buy-in and respect. When Guerin and Hynes talked about Rossi's usage in the playoffs, it was very contradictory. They kept talking about Hartman playing well and moving up, but not Gaudreau, Nyquist, Johansson and Zuccarello having sub-par performances and not moving down. If Trenin and Brazeau played as well as BG, JH and many of the posters here claim, why weren't they getting more minutes on a higher line?

OK, ODC, pick me apart some more!

 

my only point is that lines 2-4 (and especially 3-4) played almost identical minutes (if you take out the PK time) so what is the complain about here? Rossi and Trenin played good enough together and were up against an easier matchups (might be tougher go against Karlsson, Stone, Dorofeev, Eichel) So i think the coach and GM are on the same page and coach played the right guys for the most part. yes we can second guess few decisions here and there - but Rossi's usage ain't one. I would probably dissect the usage of Zeev (should have brought in Ohgren) and leave Rossi be. He played as much as he should have played. 

as for Kap - you have to pay him now and make he the highest paid player in the NHL (at this moment). what's better one Kap or two Brocks? I'd roll with one Kap. We do not need two more soft and/or aging players occupying our top 6.

18 minutes ago, OldDutchChip said:

my only point is that lines 2-4 (and especially 3-4) played almost identical minutes (if you take out the PK time) so what is the complain about here? Rossi and Trenin played good enough together and were up against an easier matchups (might be tougher go against Karlsson, Stone, Dorofeev, Eichel) So i think the coach and GM are on the same page and coach played the right guys for the most part. yes we can second guess few decisions here and there - but Rossi's usage ain't one. I would probably dissect the usage of Zeev (should have brought in Ohgren) and leave Rossi be. He played as much as he should have played. 

as for Kap - you have to pay him now and make he the highest paid player in the NHL (at this moment). what's better one Kap or two Brocks? I'd roll with one Kap. We do not need two more soft and/or aging players occupying our top 6.

I think I'm going to have to agree with ODC on this one.

It has been fun reading through the comments here and in the past on how everyone views Kap as a player and their thoughts on his upcoming contract.  Some here think he is the best player in the world, others view him as top 5, some top ten, some 15-20.  Some want to keep him at whatever the cost, others have a ceiling, while a few want to explore a trade.  I can understand almost all of these viewpoints.

One thing that I think we can all agree upon, is that he is the best player that we have ever had, and something this team has been missing since its inception.  To me, that has to be taken into consideration when it comes to the contract.  Will we have to overspend?  Maybe.  But I would rather overspend on a player who we know the work ethic, know how he fits into systems and see every day, then overspend on a free agent that may or may not have the same fit. There is always a risk when signing someone, but I think the risk of slightly overpaying for Kap is worth it.  

My preferred contract was 14M but make it 14.25M and do it on July 1st to make him the highest paid player.  Just do it before McDavid signs his so at least he has the honor of being the highest paid player for some amount of time.

1 hour ago, OldDutchChip said:

Rossi and Trenin played good enough together and were up against an easier matchups (might be tougher go against Karlsson, Stone, Dorofeev, Eichel) So i think the coach and GM are on the same page and coach played the right guys for the most part. yes we can second guess few decisions here and there - but Rossi's usage ain't one

I respectfully disagree on Rossi's usage. Remember the days when you had scoring lines, checking lines and shutdown lines? Usually the top two lines were scoring and the bottom two were checking and shutdown. A good coach, especially at home with last change, could create mismatches and gain advantages.

Trenin and Brazeau are not shutdown guys and definitely not scoring guys. So they're checkers and painfully slow ones at that. They don't get PP,  PK or OT minutes because they are ineffective, and because of that you burn valuable ice time on Boldy, Ek and Hartman killing penalties. A valuable fourth liner should earn and eat PK minutes at the very least.

Rossi is not a shutdown or checking guy but he can score and drive offense. That ridiculous fourth line pairing was like a boat with a 150HP motor dragging two anchors. Stupid. You could have put Kaprizov in between those two on the fourth line and limited his minutes and he would have scored a couple goals and they would have gotten a couple assists, just like with Rossi. And you would have sacrificed the 5/G 4/A production that KK had on the top line. But, boy, that would have made the dead weight look better, which is far more important than winning a playoff series. At least in the eyes of BG and a few posters here.

1 hour ago, ArizonaWildFan said:

I respectfully disagree on Rossi's usage. Remember the days when you had scoring lines, checking lines and shutdown lines? Usually the top two lines were scoring and the bottom two were checking and shutdown. A good coach, especially at home with last change, could create mismatches and gain advantages.

Trenin and Brazeau are not shutdown guys and definitely not scoring guys. So they're checkers and painfully slow ones at that. They don't get PP,  PK or OT minutes because they are ineffective, and because of that you burn valuable ice time on Boldy, Ek and Hartman killing penalties. A valuable fourth liner should earn and eat PK minutes at the very least.

Rossi is not a shutdown or checking guy but he can score and drive offense. That ridiculous fourth line pairing was like a boat with a 150HP motor dragging two anchors. Stupid. You could have put Kaprizov in between those two on the fourth line and limited his minutes and he would have scored a couple goals and they would have gotten a couple assists, just like with Rossi. And you would have sacrificed the 5/G 4/A production that KK had on the top line. But, boy, that would have made the dead weight look better, which is far more important than winning a playoff series. At least in the eyes of BG and a few posters here.

Remember the days when you had scoring lines, checking lines and shutdown lines? Usually the top two lines were scoring and the bottom two were checking and shutdown. A good coach, especially at home with last change, could create mismatches and gain advantages.  i hear you but from Hynes point of view - he has to have confidence in the group he assembles. rossi lost his confidence with a subpar showing to end the season. again stats show 9 pts in 22 games. but it's more than that. you cannot argue that his play regressed (drive, passion, getting into the boards, taking it to the team....forget scoring - he was easy to play against). perhaps Hynes tried to "hide" him on 4th line and give him a safety-net of two big boys. First two games - they were ghosts (apart from Trenin). the next two Rossi and Trenin came through. But apart from the two moments where they produced, Rossi specifically reverted back to being an easy opponent. That is the same flaw that Zeev had and was rightfully substituted. Rossi played on in the sheltered role knowing that his flaw would be hidden against weaker lines. 

Trenin and Brazeau are not shutdown guys and definitely not scoring guys. our "traditional" shutdown guys like hartman and foligno - stepped up and deserved more time. sometimes it's not perfect and you have to adjust. hynes did. Both Trenin and Braz played pretty good D and Trenin especially was the motor of the line and got those primary assists. 

Rossi is not a shutdown or checking guy but he can score and drive offense. you need all to contribute in the PO. our shutdown line was in fact L1 most of the time. the old school way of looking at the make up of the team is gone. 

That ridiculous fourth line pairing was like a boat with a 150HP motor dragging two anchors. i think Trenin was the motor pulling along the two anchors

You could have put Kaprizov in between those two on the fourth line and limited his minutes and he would have scored a couple goals and they would have gotten a couple assists, just like with Rossi. but Kaprizov is THE best player we have and deserves top line duty (Rossi does not). again Rossi came in on a cold streak and showed very little passion and drive. you want to mess with whats working in the top 6 and inject Rossi? well he tried during early go and Hartman made it easy for Hynes. Rossi got demoted. This is what every good coach should do. He probably should have benched Rossi after the way he played but he gave him a chance. 

And you would have sacrificed the 5/G 4/A production that KK had on the top line. But, boy, that would have made the dead weight look better, which is far more important than winning a playoff series. At least in the eyes of BG and a few posters here. rossi was not delivering....that is the point! his production was down. his play was down. why would you ask Kap to "help" out Rossi. i can say - well imagine Trenin with Boldy and Kap - you think maybe Trenin would have 10+ pts? Yeap i sure do. that's how good Kap is. Ek and Boldy deserved L1. Foligno, Harty, MJ, Zuccy deserved more time. Trenin likely deserved more time than any apart from L1 and Hartman. But do we say anything about Trenin? No the focus is always on Rossi. Look at the two goals that Rossi scored. Tell me honestly - if you are the coach - are you more impressed with Rossi's scoring the goal or with Trenin's work on the boards to deliver those beauties to Rossi? no bias - just honest answer please!