How Long Will Kirill Kaprizov’s Extension Be in Minnesota?
Michael Russo of The Athletic was on the DFO Rundown Podcast on Monday with Jason Gregor as they discussed the Minnesota Wild. Russo and Gregor addressed the idea of players taking five-year deals moving forward and mentioned how Kirill Kaprizov could take another five-year deal, while the Wild want him to sign an eight-year contract.
NHLRumors.com Transcriptions
Jason Gregor: “Well, that, I think there’s, you know, there’s quite a few guys that big name players around the league that are technically UFA, Jack Eichel, McDavid, Kaprizov and all the UFAs next July, and Vegas and Edmondson and Minnesota fan bases will be nervous a little bit until they resign. I believe firmly that McDavid will stay in Edmonton. But the term is, is valid. I know those guys can we’re entering, like, the end of eight-year deals.
NHL Rumors: Could Adrian Kempe Get $10 Million on His Next Contract
I know eight or seven for them, it’s probably not going to matter that much. But I’ve always argued. I’m being a big proponent. I’ve said it for years that five-year max deals later on, to me, would be better for players and organizations, because the best players, they’re still going to get paid, they’re going to be right there. They’re not going to be what was it, Nathan McKinnon said, you don’t want to be the best value contract, right? There’s a great quote, because it’s true.
So I look at it, and if Kaprizov did another five-year deal like I know everybody wants them to do long term, but if you’re a fan base, I actually think a five-year deal just means now your management team got to stay on their toes, and that’s what you should want as a fan.”
Michael Russo: I completely, completely agree with you. And this is, again, we’re talking Minnesota. We’re not talking Edmonton. That wins playoff round after playoff round after playoff round has gone to two straight Stanley Cup Final. Like, if you’re Connor McDavid, that might mean a lot to re-sign there for the max. I don’t think he is going to do that from all reports, but to me, it makes more sense from him than from Kaprizov, who’s playing for a team that, yes, they’ve made the playoffs for what 10 of the last 12 years, I believe it is. But they’ve only gotten past the first round, not since 2015. So I think it makes a lot of sense.
I know that if Bill Guerin probably had to do it over again, he would have done it for eight years like Kaprizov wanted, four years ago, but they went with the five-year term at the time. It was the highest contract in NHL history for a guy that’s played only, I think, 55 games. At that time, they gave him $9 million a year. It was largely panned. I remember Drew Doughty said publicly he was overpaid. And now, if you go back, you kind of wish that, I’m sure Billy wishes that he did the eight years.
NHL Rumors: Could We See More Players Betting On Themselves
But to me, five years is the sweet spot, if I’m a player, especially like Kaprizov, the cap is going to continue to soar in this new world. I don’t want to lock myself in. I know that security is great, but sometimes you want to make sure that you’re going to maximize your value, especially if you’re Kirill Kaprizov, who got to the NHL way later than most NHL stars. Remember, he didn’t show up here until he was late, 23 years old, after some re-signing in the KHL a couple times. So we’ll see where it goes again.
The other thing, from a Minnesota Wild standpoint, is that when this contract kicks in, he’s going to be 29 years old. He’s coming off a season where he missed 41 games. So again, like, is it the worst thing in the world to, lessen the risk and go mid-term? I don’t think it is. I think a five-year deal would be a great contract for the Wild if they can get it done.
But again, the one thing I will tell you is that Billy wants to do eight.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? Rumor roundups and hot topics from around the league. We’re also posting some stuff on Instagram.
