NHL Rumors: Kirill Kaprizov Contract Talks Ongoing. Is he Looking for 20% of the Cap?

Kirill Kaprizov could be thinking close to 20 percent of the cap

Marco D’Amico of RG Media: This week there have been reports of Kirill Kaprizov turning down an eight-year contract offer with a $16 million cap hit, and that the Minnesota Wild asked Kaprizov for a trade list.

A source said that Kaprizov is looking for close to 20 percent of the salary cap, in the $18 to $19 million range on an eight-year deal. The source notes that some believe the salary cap could hit upwards of $170 million in the next nine years, which may make long-term deals less appealing for the top players.

Another source said that Kaprizov is waiting to see how Connor McDavid resets the market, and adds that Wild owner Craig Leipold tied his hands when he said Kaprizov would be the lLeague’s highest-paid player.

A source, who is close to the Wild, said that the Wild haven’t and won’t be asking Kaprizov for a list of teams that he would accept a trade to.

After rejecting $16 million a year and possibly looking to 20 percent of the cap, this is not an easy negotiation. This contract could be resetting expectations for star players.

Minnesota Wild GM said that talks are ongoing with Kirill Kaprizov

Joe Smith and Michael Russo: Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin after the report of Kirill Kaprizov rejecting the Wild’s contract offer.

“We are still having ongoing talks. We love Kirill. We want to keep him here. I have a good relationship with his agent, and we are still in talks. We’re not panicking or anything. This is just part of negotiations.

“My job as general manager is to protect my players, and I don’t want this stuff in the public eye. That’s the way we’d like to keep it, so I’m not commenting any further on it. But I will say this: We absolutely want to keep Kirill in Minnesota.”

Kaprizov has a no-movement clause, and if it gets to a point where they feel he’s not going to re-sign at all, they have to ask if/where he’d consider a trade to. The Wild can’t have another Marian Gaborik situation where he rejected an offer, got hurt, and left in free agency. There is still plenty of time to get a deal done, but the speculation will be ongoing.

Sources didn’t get an indication that he’s looking for a short-term deal.

The longer it drags on, the more it makes you wonder if he could go to free agency next summer to see who would throw more money at him on a seven-year deal. Would the New York Rangers, Carolina Hurricanes, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Chicago Blackhawks be among the teams interested?

Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? Rumor roundups and hot topics from around the league. We’re also posting some stuff on Instagram.