The talk of the hockey world is Connor McDavid, and rightfully so. However, McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers know this is a five-minute conversation if that’s when the captain of the Oilers decides to sit down and negotiate his contract extension. The Oilers and McDavid both know what the number is, but the term will be tricky. And while the NHL may view McDavid as a blank check guy, the Minnesota Wild have their own blank check guy in Kirill Kaprizov.
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That negotiation may take a little longer than people think. And while Wild owner Craig Leipold did speak with Joe Smith of The Athletic and said, “I just feel like we’re not that far off,” Leipold said. “I kind of think we’re there.” What does that actually mean? Do they have the parameters of a deal? You would like to think so as a fan of the Minnesota Wild, but they still have a long way to go to get a deal done.
And while some may think the NHLPA will be influencing McDavid to reset the market, Kaprizov could be that guy because he is the best player in that franchise’s history. He is bigger than Zach Parise, Ryan Suter, Marian Gaborik, and others. This guy changes the game. If Kirill Kaprizov had not gotten hurt last season, he would have won the Hart Trophy as the Most Valuable Player in the NHL.
While other guys picked up the slack on the Wild, Kaprizov’s injury changed the course of the season for the Wild. And even with that, some don’t think he is a blank check guy in the NHL. During a discussion last week on TSN Radio in Toronto, when discussing Kirill Kaprizov’s contract negotiations, the question was raised if he and the other players eligible for contract extensions were waiting on McDavid to sign, and could Kaprizov’s deal blow everyone out of the water.
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Host: “Although the Minnesota owner said Kaprizov’s deal is gonna blow everything out of the water, I don’t know what that means?”
Pierre LeBrun: “Yeah, he did say that O-Dog and I was, I mean, that’s very interesting. I mean, it shows you how desperate I think they are to keep him, because it’s not easy to always lure players to Minnesota. But also, listen, he’s an electrifying player, but he’s not a blank check guy for me. I don’t know what you guys think. Like, listen, an amazing player. Like, don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to be radio here, but there are certain blank check guys, and there’s only a handful in the whole league. And I don’t know that I have Kaprizov as one of them myself.”
Host: “Maybe he’s not a blank check player, but for Minnesota, he has to be that.”
NHL Rumors: Kirill Kaprizov and the Minnesota Wild Not Close on a New Deal
And the last part is absolutely correct. With him missing time last year and the Wild’s season turning the other way, and they just made the playoffs late in the season, Kaprizov is a blank check guy. Now, negotiating 101 states you don’t give away your plan, but Bill Guerin and owner Craig Leipold have been clear that they will give him whatever he wants.
Whether that is $16 million, $17 million, it remains to be seen. But he will get more than Leon Draisaitl is making on his deal with the Edmonton Oilers at $14 million a season. The question will be, What is the contract length for Kirill Kaprizov in Minnesota?
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