Minnesota Wild star Kirill Kaprizov signed a five-year, $45 million deal with the club on Tuesday.
The deal puts Kaprizov, who was a restricted free agent, under contract through the 2025-26 season.
Kaprizov, 24, won the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie last season when he had 27 goals and 51 points in 55 games. The forward received 99 of 100 first-place votes.
Negotiations weren’t always smooth over the summer, and there was even a report that returning to the Kontinental Hockey League might be an option. Kaprizov played six seasons in the KHL before joining the Wild.
That was the lone leverage Kaprizov had in the talks. Reports pegged the Wild as hoping to sign him to a deal of seven or eight years before the two sides worked out a deal.
–Field Level Media