Free agency, Kirill Kaprizov's future and how new CBA rules could help the Wild keep their superstar

ST.

PAUL, Minn.

Bill Guerin continues to fervently voice confidence that the Minnesota Wild will have no problem getting Kirill Kaprizovs contract extended this summer.

Were going to trust him, as well as Wild owner Craig Leipold, who again told me a few days ago that Kaprizovs extension will get done.

Advertisement Well trust Kaprizov, too.

The last we talked to him, just after the season, the Wilds gamebreaker tried to calm everyones nerves by saying , I love everything here.

It should be all good.

Kaprizov said, at the time, that he believes in the Wilds future.

Still ...

this is Minnesota.

We worry about everything.

Not winning a major mens pro sports championship since the Bush administration (the father, not the son) will do that to you.

It gives us an inferiority complex that everybody wants to leave us.

Who wouldnt want to play under the bright lights of New York, L.A., Miami and Vegas? So even though Guerin has instructed everybody not to panic if Kaprizov doesnt sign on the dotted line as soon as hes eligible for an extension Tuesday, if Guerin and the Wild cant set off those proverbial fireworks in the first few days of free agency after so far not making any team-altering trades, we do have to wonder eh, worry what the heck Kaprizov thinks of all this.

Dont, Guerin insisted Saturday.

Ive talked to him a number of times, Guerin said after the Wild closed their draft with five new prospects in the pipeline.

Ive talked to his agent a number of times.

They know the plan.

They know what were trying to do, and we have the same goal, and thats to win.

Sometimes it just doesnt happen in one day.

Guerins actually not talking about winning with that last line.

Hes talking about adding all the players you want to add.

Yes, the Wild have about $17.7 million to spend this offseason, which includes what itll take to re-sign restricted free agent Marco Rossi.

But what hes saying is that with the cap expected to continue to rise in future years, the Wild should have the flexibility to make home-run swings if he and his staff make smart, calculated decisions.

As of now, the trade market hasnt materialized the way Guerin envisioned.

He also cant invent a bunch of sexy names that dont exist when the free agent bell rings Tuesday.

Advertisement So while fans have every right to expect the Wild to add bigtime players to their arsenal after four years of hearing about dead money and buyout penalties and all those annoying things, if Guerin has to wait for next season to find the right players or even next summer to go after more appetizing fish and avoid tying up cap dollars on lesser players this free-agent class, well, so be it.

That would be the most prudent thing to do.

The biggest thing is that were going to be able to be players in the game again, Guerin said.

Every year, you see, like, the (Mikko) Rantanen thing.

(Matthew) Tkachuk a couple years before that.

Like big players do move, and we havent been able to be involved in that type of stuff.

But if they come up now, we can.

Thats fair as long as it actually happens, and Kaprizov, himself, understands that.

With all due respect to Marian Gaborik, Kaprizov is the first true superstar in Wild history.

If hes going to invest as much as nine more years of his career in Minnesota, he deserves to and needs to understand the plan.

Guerin said he does, and hell continue to communicate with him.

Remember, Kaprizov wants to win.

His NHL career started six years later than most players of his pedigree.

His extension would kick in at age 29, so if winning a Stanley Cup is as important to Kaprizov as we think it is, hes going to want to see the path to perennial contention.

Guerin still plans to add a couple of forwards in a few days probably at least one bottom-six center and perhaps a scoring winger.

Possible centers who can win draws and kill penalties include Christian Dvorak, Sean Kuraly, Nico Sturm, Colin Blackwell and Radek Faksa.

Possible scoring wingers, as of now, include Brock Boeser, Patrick Kane, Brad Marchand, Nikolaj Ehlers, Claude Giroux and Corey Perry.

Advertisement And after trading Declan Chisholm to the Washington Capitals on Saturday , Guerin does want to add blue line depth to a top seven that likely includes youngsters Zeev Buium and David Jiricek.

But when it comes to extending Kaprizov, our gut is the Wild are indeed in the drivers seat.

He missed half of the season last season with core muscle injuries.

Is he really going to risk not signing a deal that could be in the $110 million to $120 million range? Also, when Leipold said last fall that no team in the NHL can or will be able to offer Kaprizov more money than the Wild, hes even more correct now.

Terms of the newly agreed-upon collective bargaining agreement have started to leak .

The four-year extension begins in the 2026-27 season.

If a player entering the final year of his contract extends before June 30, 2026, league sources said the current rule would still be in effect.

What does that mean? Starting in 2026-27, players can only re-sign for seven years with their current team and can only sign for six years with another in free agency.

So Kaprizov can re-sign with the Wild for as many as eight years starting this July 1, but he would only be able to sign with another team for six years next July 1 (if hes not traded by the Wild before).

That means if the Wild were to offer him, say, eight years at $14 million annually ($112 million total) or at $15 million annually ($120 million total) and he turned it down and decided to wait, he would have to get an offer of $18.67 million or $20 million on a six-year term to make those same total dollars.

Similarly, the Wild have largely avoided giving player signing bonuses on Leipolds watch.

But Leipold said last fall that he understands that with Kaprizov, We may be entering into new territory.

Well, under the next CBA, signing bonuses are expected to be capped at 60 percent of the total contract value.

So if Kaprizov, like many players today, wants most of his contract in annual signing bonuses, hed also have to sign his extension now.

Advertisement For example, Noah Dobson was traded to the Montreal Canadiens on Friday and signed an eight-year, $76 million contract.

Dobson will earn $1 million in base salaries annually with $11 million signing bonuses on July 1 in each of his first three years, according to The Athletics Chris Johnston.

That wouldnt fly a year from now under the new CBA.

Same with Sam Bennetts structure with the Florida Panthers.

He re-signed Friday at the tune of eight years and $64 million.

According to PuckPedia , hell earn eight years of $1 million base salaries with $56 million in bonuses spread across the eight years, starting in a few days at $9.2 million.

Not that the Wild or Kaprizov would want this, but deferred payments in contracts will also no longer be permitted in contracts signed starting July 1, 2026.

So all of this should be good news for the Wild and their fans.

Financially, it makes all the sense in the world for Kaprizov to lock in with the Wild now.

Of course, theres always a chance that Kaprizov would prefer a shorter-term deal to keep his future options open and further, lets just say, incentivize the Wild to try to build a perennial winner and not get complacent over the term of his contract.

That, too, could be considered a good thing if it puts pressure on a franchise that has made the playoffs eight times in the past 10 years but has also lost in the first round in eight of the past 10 years.

What may excite Kaprizov beyond the potential external additions to the Wilds lineup in free agency in a few days is the infusion of youth onto the roster next season.

Theres a chance we could see as many as five young players make the opening night lineup.

Buium and Jiricek will have every opportunity to make the team on the back end.

Goalie Jesper Wallstedt is penciled in to be Filip Gustavssons backup.

Skilled forward Danila Yurov is coming over from Russia to make his NHL debut, and its time to see if Liam Ohgren can be a full-time NHLer.

With Jonas Brodin having recently undergone surgery and expected to miss the start of the season, we could even see Carson Lambos on the opening night roster.

Guerin is excited about the youthful energy these kids may be able to bring to the team.

A lot of times those are the guys that can help you get over the edge or over the hump, Guerin said.

Its really important that we find these younger players that can make the push make the lineup but make an impact.

Like not just be out there and just get a roster spot.

Advertisement We need guys to come in and make an impact and do something, not just make the team and take a seat in the locker room.

And I think weve got some young guys that are going to be able to do that.

Well soon find out one way or the other what Kaprizov thinks of all this.

Remember, Guerins not wrong when he says not to panic if theres no big Kaprizov announcement Tuesday.

Leon Draisaitls $14 million-per-year extension with the Edmonton Oilers didnt get done until September.

Theres no rush to get it done July 1.

Could it, though? Well see, Guerin said.

I cant really answer that.

Hey, listen, Id love to have everything locked in and sealed on July 1.

I dont see that happening, but who knows? Kirills agent and I have been talking not just about Kirill but about other things, too.

We have an open dialogue, and I would say things are good.

Wild depth chart Pending restricted free agents: Rossi, Michael Milne, Graeme Clarke, Adam Raska, Luke Toporowski.

Pending unrestricted free agents: Gustav Nyquist, Justin Brazeau, Devin Shore, Travis Boyd, Tyler Madden.

Roster hopefuls: Yurov ($950,000), Ohgren ($886,666), Vinnie Hinostroza ($775K), Ben Jones (775K), Hunter Haight ($865,833), Riley Heidt ($950K), Caedan Bankier ($867,500), Cameron Butler ($858,333), Rasmus Kumpulainen ($897,500), Milne, Clarke, Raska, Toporowski.

Pending restricted free agents: Ryan ORourke.

Pending unrestricted free agents: Jon Merrill, Cam Crotty, Chase Priskie.

Roster hopefuls: Buium ($966,667), Jiricek ($918,333), Carson Lambos ($863,334), David Spacek ($862,500), Jack Peart ($925K), Kyle Masters ($865,000), Stevie Leskovar ($860,000), ORourke.

Pending unrestricted free agents: Dylan Ferguson, Troy Grosenick.

Roster hopefuls: Samuel Hlavaj ($875K), Riley Mercer ($819,167) Cap space Cap charges (including Ohgren, Buium, Jiricek, Wallstedt, Yurov): $75,021,666 Projected dead-cap buyout charges, bonus overages: $2,766,666 Projected salary cap for 2025-26 season: $95.5 million Projected salary-cap space: $17,711,668 (excludes re-signings) (Top photo by Jeff Bottari / NHLI via Getty Images).

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