The Minnesota Wild kicked off the 2025 offseason with one main goal in mind: to lock down the long-term future of their franchise star, Kirill Kaprizov. Back then, insiders like Frank Seravalli said, “I would ballpark somewhere in the neighbourhood of 8 years x $15 million dollars, that’s just a guess; they’re working away on that deal.” But summer went by without any new deal, and by early September, the buzz was intense.

Reports started coming out that the 28-year-old superstar winger had actually turned down a massive eight-year contract extension worth $128 million. That would have made it the richest deal in NHL history, averaging $16 million a year! The rejection stirred anxiety in the State of Hockey, sparking urgent questions about whether Kaprizov wants to stick around in Minnesota. It also put the team’s front office in a tough spot right as the new season was getting close.

Things took a turn during Craig Leipold’s annual preseason media availability. The owner, who has a net worth of $3.6 million, chose to step away from his usual open and upbeat approach. As reported by The Athletic, when immediately pressed on the Kaprizov negotiations, Leipold became uncharacteristically muted, stating, “I said I wasn’t going to talk about Kirill. I really am serious. There’s nothing to gain. Everything to lose.”

It’s interesting to note his comments, especially considering how confidently he declared just a year ago that no team could or would give Kaprizov a better deal than the Wild. Just a year ago, Leipold mentioned, “He’s going to be the focus of what we’re going to do. We plan to re-sign him. I will tell you nobody will offer more money than us, or longer. So all we have to do is prove to him that we want to win.”

The dramatic shift in tone, with General Manager Bill Guerin closely observing the contracts, signaled a new, cautious strategy from an organization that now appears deeply concerned about the stalemate. Even before Kaprizov turned down the contract, things were looking not so different for the Wild camp.

At least there were hopes for Kirill Kaprizov’s Minnesota future

The Minnesota Wild were eliminated in the first round again, marking the ninth consecutive year, as they fell 4–2 to the Vegas Golden Knights. “You feel like you deserve a little bit better, at least in the last few games here. Unfortunately, it didn’t go that way,” coach John Hynes shared after the Stanley Cup playoffs run. But since the team didn’t advance further in the playoffs, fans quickly started to worry that their star winger Kirill Kaprizov might look for a new home in the NHL.

For sure, any team would be thrilled to have a Russian hockey star like him on their roster. He’s just a powerhouse when it comes to offense. However, concerns just grew even more, when journalist Michael Russo said, “What I checked on the last couple days, they are not close; they’re going to take a little bit of a breather here; when [Kirill] Kaprizov gets back into town, I think that then [Bill] Guerin will meet with him.”

Kaprizov is a shining light on the team—he got a +19 plus-minus, with 25 goals, 31 assists, and 56 points, this season despite dealing with some injury concerns. However, with all the speculations that were going on, their GM, Bill Guerin, promised the fans, as he said, “We don’t have to sign him on July 1. We’d like to get it done as soon as we can. I’d love to do that. These things take time. They’re complicated deals, and there’s a lot to them. So, if it doesn’t happen on July 1, don’t panic. Don’t panic. It’s a process.”

A few months down the line, it has indeed not happened. It will be interesting to see how the Kaprizov saga unfolds, though the picture doesn’t look too rosy for Wild fans. It seems like he might already be eyeing a new place to play.