The Minnesota Wild made league history this week, signing Kirill Kaprizov to an eight-year, $136 million extension. It is the largest contract in NHL history by both annual cap hit and total value. A player of Kaprizov’s caliber guarantees relevance; as long as he’s on the ice, the Wild won’t completely fade from contention.
The Wild’s future rests on a young core built around Matt Boldy, Brock Faber, Zeev Buium, Joel Eriksson Ek and Marco Rossi. Kaprizov’s health is imperative in this group’s development; it’s no secret that Boldy, Ek, Rossi and Zuccarello all produce more when Kaprizov’s in the lineup, either because he opens up the ice and relieves pressure for them or allows them a spot on the second or third line where they won’t play against opponents’ shut down forwards.
This situation is all too familiar among tenured Wild fans. Back in 2012, the massive signings of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter were meant to anchor a roster that relied heavily on the development of prospects like Mikael Granlund, Charlie Coyle, Nino Niederreiter, Matt Dumba, Jason Zucker and Erik Haula. That group produced solid NHL players, but never the game breakers the organization desperately needed, considering how highly touted Minnesota farm system was in the 2010s.
Jonas Brodin and Jared Spurgeon did emerge as reliable franchise cornerstones, turning Minnesota’s blue line into one of the league’s best for over a decade. Unfortunately it’s now 2025 and the Wild will soon be confronted with the arduous task of replacing the two, especially an elite skating defender like Brodin, who will likely retire with the most games played in franchise history. The crucial distinction this time is that the Wild’s success isn’t expected to come from a collective balance. Unlike the Parise/Suter blueprint, this era revolves around a singular superstar in Kaprizov with the young core asked to grow into complementary pieces around him.
Guerin has moved to surround Kaprizov with more Russian talent. Vladimir Tarasenko is by no means the player he was when the St. Louis Blues hoisted Lord Stanley in 2018, but if he can regain even part of that touch, he could be an important addition, especially on the power play. A 25 goal scorer on the second or third line would be a spectacular addition to this club. Yakov Trenin gives the lineup a dependable bottom-six center with some offensive upside, and with three years left on his contract at $3.5 million, he offers cost certainty in a role the Wild have struggled to fill.
Danila Yurov is another intriguing piece. In the final three years of his entry-level contract, he brings first-round talent at a league-minimum cap hit. The decision to draft him may have been influenced by the appeal of adding another Russian player to the mix but the upside is palpable. At just 21 and with the Wild’s track record of injuries, Yurov should get a chance to contribute in a middle-six role and possibly see substantial time on the second power-play unit.
Yurov’s production in the KHL last season was strong, putting up 49 points in 62 games for Metallurg Magnitogorsk. KHL stats often undersell offensive impact because secondary assists aren’t recorded. For context, Kaprizov posted 61 points in 57 games during his final year with CSKA Moscow before stepping into the NHL and winning the Calder Trophy in the pandemic-shortened season.
This summer marked the beginning of a new era in Minnesota. With the Parise and Suter buyouts finally off the books, the Wild can operate without the crushing weight of a massive dead cap hit. General Manager Bill Guerin resisted the urge to overspend this offseason and should be commended for it. 2025 didn’t provide a strong free agent class and teams paid a premium for players like Nikolaj Ehlers and JJ Peterka; quality forwards, but not the type to change a franchise. The Wild would have had to overpay, especially with the cap set to rise in the near future.
The bet now is on health. When the roster was intact last year, Minnesota was a top-five team by record and Kaprizov was tracking as the Hart Trophy favorite. Management is gambling that a full season with a healthy core can carry over that momentum, while leaving the door open to make a bigger move in free agency next summer, when the team could present itself as a more attractive destination with money to spend.
It is, however, a gamble rooted in optimism. Even after committing to the largest contract in NHL history, for a winger nonetheless, Guerin has managed to preserve some flexibility, a stark contrast from the $14 million deficit the team operated under during the buyout years.
The Wild’s new priority is to re-sign is Filip Gustavsson; if he gets to free agency next offseason with no significant offer from the Wild, he could easily get a much more lucrative deal from a team desperate for a quality goaltender, perhaps a team like Edmonton, Vegas or Toronto.
If the salary cap continues to rise and Kaprizov maintains his level of production, Minnesota should have an easier time attracting free agents, especially at center where help is most needed. Realistically, these signings will be short-term deals for veteran players nearing the end of their careers. The more critical task for management is finding value in younger players who haven’t met expectations elsewhere. A 25 or 26-year-old center, once drafted high but in need of a fresh start, could thrive alongside Kaprizov and Boldy.
Minnesota will never be a marquee market in the national landscape, which is a disadvantage in bringing in European talent in free agency. The path to landing top-end talent without overspending is narrow. The only way to make it viable is through results: deep playoff runs, proof of sustained success and Kaprizov continuing to establish himself as a perennial Hart and Rocket Richard candidate. That combination is what can transform the Wild from an average to above average club into a national free-agent destination.
Ownership and management have expressed their desire to secure another big fish to bolster the lineup, either in free agency or at the trade deadline. Next season’s free-agent market should be more favorable for buyers compared with this year. The class is deep, and the top-tier players will likely sign quickly, especially now that Kaprizov has set the market. You can watch Guerin’s lengthy interview with KFAN’s Dan Barriero below.
The current state of the leagues add pressure to Kaprizov’s situation; Kyle Connor, McDavid and Jack Eichel have all signed extensions with substantially less AAV than the Wild will pay Kaprizov. 97 will be the highest paid player in hockey for at least this season.
Minnesota’s realistic targets will probably come from the second tier of this upcoming class. Adrian Kempe should be this team’s absolute top priority if he doesn’t get a deal done with the LA Kings soon. the 29 year old Swede plays a fantastic 200 foot game and would provide Kaprizov an elite counterpart at wing.
Another forward with a nonzero amount of experience at center (albeit in the Czech league with Kometa Brno) , Martin Necas could be a trade candidate if Colorado doesn’t extend him although the Mikko Rantanen debacle will force Colorado’s hand to overpay Necas in an attempt to save face.
An aging Evgeni Malkin also presents an intriguing but improbable-at-best option. Malkin fits the new Russian connection mold Geurin is subtly establishing. He’s won three Stanley Cups, a Hart Trophy, two Art Ross trophies, a Calder and a Conn Smythe. Malkin has one or two productive years left and the Penguins have don’t nothing to show they’ll be competitive in the short term.
Maybe Geurin and Marc-Andre Fleury, who recently put down roots in Minnesota permanently, can put on their recruiting caps and capitalize on their Pittsburgh connections to get Sidney Crosby to come over too, and play in the state where he played high school at Shattuck-St. Mary’s. It should be noted Guerin, Fleury, Crosby and Malkin won a Stanley Cup together in 2009. This is a pipe dream.
Anders Lee could serve as a short-term homecoming option at center, finishing out his career in a familiar setting for the former Edina Hornet. Any of these additions would be low-risk, short-term moves, but the more prudent path may be relying on internal development. The key for the Wild will be nurturing players in the system fast enough to avoid reaching for free agents out of necessity.
No matter how things unfold, Wild fans can breathe a sigh of relief. Losing Kaprizov would have set the team back at least five years, leaving them without a star to help develop the young core. Without 97, they may as well be an expansion team headed into 2026. The crisis has been avoided: a repeat of Marian Gaborik’s departure in free agency. That loss sank the Wild into a prolonged stretch of mediocrity and ultimately contributed to the Parise and Suter contracts that have long weighed on the team. It’s up to Bill Guerin to assure wild fans don’t suffer the same fate once more, another decade in the doldrums.
Mitchell Linsley
mitchlinsley.com 
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