The Minnesota Wild announced Tuesday that they have signed their star winger Kirill Kaprizov to an eight-year contract extension worth $136 million, the largest deal in NHL history both in total value and average annual salary ($17 million). The contract extension breaking those previously held by Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin ($124 million) and Edmonton Oilers standout Leon Draisaitl ($14 million AAV).
The new deal will keeps the 28-year-old Russian in Minnesota through the 2033–34 season, paying him an average of $17 million per year. Wild general manager Bill Guerin said Tuesday: “We never wanted to entertain Kirill not being here.”
Sources told ESPN that the contract, which will kick in next season, includes large signing bonuses over the first four years. Kaprizov will play this season on the final year of a five-year, $45 million deal signed in 2021.
Kaprizov, a 2015 fifth-round pick, had 25 goals and 31 assists and a plus-19 rating in 41 games during the 2024-25 regular season. In 319 games over five seasons with the Wild, he is fourth in team history with 185 goals and fifth with 386 points. The winger holds single-season franchise records in points (108), goals (47), power play goals (19) and is the only player in franchise history with multiple 40-goal seasons. He also won the Calder Trophy with 27 goals and 24 assists during the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season.
The Wild finished last season with a 45-30-7 record, but their playoff run ended in the opening round. The team has not advanced past the first round since the 2014–15 season.
Minnesota’s regular-season begins Oct. 9 against the St. Louis Blues in St. Louis.
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