Kaprizov trade rumors blow up the day after he turns down richest contract in NHL history

Just yesterday NHL insider Frank Seravalli reported that Minnesota Wild star Kirill Kaprizov turned down a whopping eight year deal that would have paid him more than $16 million per season, the largest contract offer in NHL history.

Today, Wild insiders Michael Russo and Joe Smith are reporting on some growing trade rumors surrounding Kaprizov. It might seem drastic at this point, but it makes sense. After all, if the superstar Russian isn't long for Minnesota then GM Bill Guerin should be scouring the trade market exhausting all his options.

"If Kaprizov won’t entertain a contract extension by the Wild, it could be incumbent on Guerin to get a handful of teams Kaprizov would consider a trade to," Russo wrote for The Athletic yesterday. Of course, Kaprizov holds a full 'No Move Clause' in his contract, so he gets to dictate exactly what happens for himself. If he doesn't want to move before his contract expires then there's nothing that Guerin and the Wild can do about it. Kaprizov holds all the power in this situation and the Wild can only hope to reason with him... one way or another.

Read below for our initial report on Kaprizov, published yesterday by Hockey Feed staff writer Chris Gosselin.

Earlier this month, Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold stated that he would offer Kirill Kaprizov the be biggest in NHL history. And he was not kidding.

However, Leipold probably wasn’t expecting to be turned down by Kaprizov, who can become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season, when his five-year, $45 million contract comes to an end. Kaprizov has been eligible to sign an eight-year contract with Minnesota since July 1, but fans in Minny are still waiting.

According to Frank Seravalli, Kaprizov’s camp turned down an extension offer believed to be 8-years, $128 million in a meeting on Tuesday in Minnesota that would have made him the highest-paid player in NHL history in both AAV ($16 million) and total dollars.

If Kaprizov indeed gets the biggest deal in NHL history it means it would be more than the one signed by Alex Ovechkin in 2008. The Washington Capitals superstar inked a 13-year pact worth $124 million. The highest cap hit is owned by Leon Draisaitl at $14 million. He signed an eight-year, $112-million extension with the Edmonton Oilers in September 2024.

But after this rejected offer, it looks like Kaprizov wants it to be more than a $16 million AAV…

Selected 135th overall by the Wild in 2015, Kaprizov only joined the NHL until 2020 after a prolific career back home in the KHL. Kaprizov has recorded185 goals and 386 points in 319 games over six seasons, and already ranks fourth in franchise goals and fifth in scoring.

Last year, Kaprizov finished the year with 25 goals and 56 points in 41 games, a 50-goal, 112-point pace over 82 contests, and eventually added five goals and nine points in six playoff games as the Wild lost in the first round to the Vegas Golden Knights.

And he wants to get paid!