Concerns around Kirill Kaprizov negotiations emerge in the offseason.

There's no question in anyone's mind that the most important piece of business this summer for the Minnesota Wild and general manager Bill Guerin is the future of Wild star forward Kirill Kaprizov. Kaprizov is one of the most dynamic players in the entire National Hockey League and the face of the Wild's franchise at this time, so the obvious question is why haven't the two sides been able to come together to reach a deal on a new contract?

This past week Minnesota Wild insider Mike Russo shed some light on the situation, providing his unique insights into the behind the scenes dealings of the Wild. According to the insider, this is not a question of money as many had speculated it might be.

"Financially they are not far apart," confirmed Russo on the DFO Rundown Podcast.

There are however some potential causes for concern. While Russo himself would not go into specific details, he did admit that some issues had bubbled up during the offseason and that the Wild's general manager was hoping to clear the air once everyone gets a chance to talk face to face back in Minnesota.

"I think though that there is some stuff that has been lost in translation this season, with him and Moscow," admitted Russo. "And I think that Bill Guerin is waiting for him to get back to Minnesota, sit down with him, have a real good face to face with him and maybe his agent as well."

In spite of any potential issues however, Russo is still confident that the Wild will get a deal done before the start of the regular season. The insider states that he believes Guerin and the Wild will want to avoid this becoming a potential distraction at all costs, which likely signals a massive payday on the horizon for Kaprizov.

"I just think that the Wild are not gonna want the distraction of this going into the season and they will get it done," said Russo.

As I mentioned Kaprizov is one of the most dynamic players in the NHL and is coming off a season in which he put up 25 goals and 31 assists, a total of 56 points in just 41 games despite dealing with a significant injury, and it is for that reason that everyone will continue to pay very close attention to this story.