Wild GM admits 'some obstacles' in Kirill Kaprizov extension talks

Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov (97) skates around Vegas Golden Knights left wing Max Pacioretty (67) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Monday, March 1, 2021, in Las Vegas. (John Locher/AP)

NHL training camps will open next week across the league and a few top young players still don't have new contracts.

In Ottawa, Brady Tkachuk remains an RFA, with Elliotte Friedman reporting last week that the team is offering something similar to Thomas Chabot's eight-year, $8 million AAV deal. Sportsnet's Wayne Scanlan also reported that Tkachuk is back in the city at least.

In Vancouver, Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes still need new deals as the sides weigh bridge or long-term contracts. Rasmus Dahlin of the Buffalo Sabres, who hasn't started his career as strong but was the first overall pick in 2018, is also still on the RFA pile. Kailer Yamamoto and the Edmonton Oilers still haven't struck a deal.

Last season's Calder Trophy winner, Kirill Kaprizov, is among this group as well, but his situation is different for a few reasons. For one, he's 24 and older than the other players in this group. Kaprizov played out his contract with CSKA Moscow of the KHL before arriving in the NHL last season. That means he's only three years away from being UFA eligible, and much closer to having any extension eat up his most valuable years.

Kaprizov also had limited leverage in negotiations. He wasn't eligible for an offer sheet or arbitration, and so his only other option would be to sign back in the KHL and not return to the Wild this season. The KHL season started last week and he has not chosen that path.

Kaprizov's significant impact on the Wild franchise was undeniable, injecting a level of excitement and game-breaking ability the team hasn't had much of. He scored 27 goals and 51 points in 55 games to lead the Wild in scoring by a wide margin and he added three points in seven playoff games.

With camp on the horizon and no deal done yet, Wild GM Bill Guerin said the negotiation process was still ongoing.

“There are gonna be some obstacles,” Guerin told The Athletic's Michael Russo.

According to Russo, the Wild's offer to Kaprizov is believed to be around a $9 million AAV. While the Wild at first wanted to re-sign Kaprizov to the maximum eight-year term, Kaprizov's camp was more inclined to take a short-term deal to walk to unrestricted free agency. Russo has since reported that both sides have been working towards a compromise.

“I will say this, we are at a point where we feel we’re being extremely fair,” Guerin told Russo. “How far apart are we? Not very, but sometimes those can be the things that take a while. I mean, that’s the way I see it. You could ask (agent) Paul (Theofanous) or Kirill and they might say something very different.”

Even if Kaprizov were to sign an extension today, Russo indicated that he might not be able to make it in time for the start of training camp anyway. Kaprizov would need to get his work visa first, get tested for COVID-19, and upon arrival, may have to quarantine for seven days before being allowed to join the team. His vaccination status will also need to be established and that could further complicate his return.

But first the Wild will need to get their most important player under contract, and while other potential market-setting RFAs also remain unsigned, time is running short.

“As I’ve said many times, in my head, this is completely normal. I know there’s probably some frustration in the fan base, but there really doesn’t need to be in my mind. We’ll try to get this done and hope to see him in Minnesota soon," Guerin said.

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