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  • Kirill Kaprizov Wanted By the Blackhawks


    Image courtesy of © Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
    Thomas Williams

    It was an interesting day for us Minnesota Wild fans. And it all started with a news aggregator grabbing a quote from Mark Lazerus, a Chicago Blackhawks reporter for The Athletic, about how the Blackhawks really want to sign Wild superstar Kirill Kaprizov when he is a free agent in 2026.

    It was originally cast as a quote saying that Kaprizov "wants" the Blackhawks, but as Lazerus clarifies, he meant to say it was the other way around.

    So, we all had a very quick panic.

    And we still might panic, because even the thought of Kaprizov already thinking ahead to his free agency and where he can sign away from Minnesota is a terrible thought. We really hope we do not have to deal with this for the next two years. He's ours, damnit.

    That's Wild

    • Speaking of Kaprizov, his reputation around the league seems to be much lower than we think of him in the State of Hockey. [Hockey Wilderness]
    • The Wild fell 5-2 to the Dallas Stars in preseason action on Wednesday night. [NHL.com]
    • Marat Khusnutdinov is ready to take on the NHL after a quick introduction to the league last season. [StarTribune]

    Off the trail...

    • Not every season is going to be perfect. Here are some top regression candidates -- players who might take a step back in production -- for the 2024-25 NHL season. [ESPN]
    • German winger J.J. Peterka is very excited to head back home with the Buffalo Sabres for the Global Series. [NHL.com]
    • Jeremy Swayman is the only notable restricted free agent left without a contract and he is reportedly looking for a long-term deal. [TheScore]

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    I think it's more likely than not Kaprizov is at the very least looking ahead considering what he may do after this season if not having already made up his mind. I find it hard to believe Chicago would be high on his radar. I think they are on a higher trajectory than the Wild are but are still some years away from being a strong contender. Chicago may surprise some people this year they put a few more pieces around Bedard and Bedard has a year under his belt. I wouldn't be surprised to see them battling for the last Wild card spot with the Wild.

    I don't see how the Wild improve enough this season to show Kaprizov  that he won't have to slog through three more years of increments of improvement to finally win a playoff round.

    There will be no shortage of suitors for Kaprizov after this year he will have a number of options. Chances are better that he leaves than stays but going to Chicago would raise some eyebrows. 

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    I would think that the Blackhawks have way too many holes on their roster for Kaprizov to be interested. I still think he has a better chance here. Next season's rookie class of Yurov, Buium, The Wall should be enough to move the needle. For the ODCs out there, I don't think anybody has a better knowledge of Yurov's game than Kaprizov. 

    So, those are the 3 that could be coming next year. This year with Ogie and Dino we've got a couple of more kids. Lambos could be ready by next season, though, he looked better the 1st game. Here's what we really need too, a prospect to come out of nowhere and make the team with a prominent role. One that we haven't counted on that just super develops this year. Someone way off our radar.

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    A generational winger is going to want to play with a high end center. The wild don’t have anything close to one. I can’t see kappy wanting to be centered by Hartman over a bedard , Barkov, Eichel , etc . Pretty much every other team he’d go to has a #1 center and we don’t. After all these years of Billy still no #1 center for kappy to play with. Ek is great but he’s a #2 center . He’s not on par with the high end centers in the league. The ones kappy would want to play with . He is a hell of a player and could anchor his own line . Kappy needs a creative offensive center.  Rossi hasn’t shown anything close to being a #1st line center on a contender.  He’s a#2 center at best with his lack of size and strength . So I think the best hope for wild is the Russian comes over as a legit center out of the box. I highly doubt it because it seems our scouts over hype these kids.  They may be good or great someday but nowhere near the timeline our scouting department thinks. 
        For the amount of time Billy’s been here his kids should be on roster producing. They aren’t ! So why should kappy believe anything about Billy’s timeline.  Judd made it clear when drafting Rossi he was ready to go to nhl over everyone else in draft. Same with that d core he drafted years ago. They were going to take over yet none of them are close . 
       Billy’s vision turns out to be keep doing the same thing and give the players that have proven they can’t produce more opportunities.  From day one of Billy we’ve always needed a #1 center and we still don’t have anything close to one due to his absolute incompetence as a gm . I love how hockey writers gave him and coach a b + for there work last season.  It says everything about minny. Patting yourself on the back for being below mediocre. It’s also why I think kappy leaves. No one here is serious about winning a cup. Just selling jerseys, telling  heart warming stories and making lots of excuses year after year.  The wild have done nothing in their existence. 

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    Well, either he signs an extension next off-season or if he won't you trade him.  Can't let him play next season in MN without an extention. Don't need another Gaborik situation. 

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    5 hours ago, Dean said:

    Judd made it clear when drafting Rossi he was ready to go to nhl over everyone else in draft.

    Nobody thought Rossi would have myocarditis either. It was found when he was about to take the ice for the Wild in his D1 year. Come on Dean, you've got to take this into consideration. It wasn't a defect that the trainers missed, it was due to Covid and most likely a product of the European vaccine. 

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