One of the game’s biggest names has been locked down.
The Minnesota Wild signed star forward Kirill Kaprizov to a record-setting contract extension on Tuesday, sources confirm to Sportsnet.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the deal will be for eight years with an AAV above $16 million.
It stands as the biggest contract awarded in league history.
Kaprizov, 28, was set to enter free agency in 2026 and has been eligible to sign a contract as of July 1.
Despite just five seasons in the NHL, Kaprizov has already established himself as one of the league’s most prolific scorers. The three-time 40-plus goal-scorer has been a point-per-game player in all but one of his NHL seasons and captured the Calder Trophy following his rookie season in 2020-21.
The Russian suffered injuries last season that limited him to 41 games, but he made the most of it with 25 goals and 31 assists and matched his career-high shooting percentage at 17.2.
The three-time all-star was a late-round gem for the Wild, selected at 135th overall in the 2015 NHL Draft.
More to come.
