Over the quarter-century that covers the Minnesota Wild’s modest existence in the NHL, Kirill Kaprizov has made himself one of a kind.
The price of keeping the star left wing hardly compares to what the steep cost of losing him could’ve been.
kAmz2AC:K@G D:8?65 2? 6:89E\J62C[ S`be >:==:@? 6IE6?D:@? @? %F6D52J[ 8:G:?8 9:> E96 C:496DE 4@?EC24E 😕 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^?9=Qm}w{k^2m 9:DE@CJ 2?5 8:G:?8 2 (:=5 E62> =24<:?8 A@DED62D@? DF446DD 2? 6=:E6 A=2J6C E@ 4@?DECF4E 2 4@?E6?56C 2C@F?5 7@C E96 7@C6D6623=6 7FEFC6]k^Am
kAm“(6 ?6G6C H2?E65 E@ 6?E6CE2:? z:C:== ?@E 36:?8 96C6[” 86?6C2= >2?286C q:== vF6C:? D2:5] “tG6CJ3@5J 😕 E9:D @C82?:K2E:@? 92D H@C<65 6IEC6>6=J 92C5 E96 =2DE 3F?49 @7 J62CD E@ 86E E@ H96C6 H6 2C6 E@52J[ 2?5 z:C:== 92D 366? 2 3:8 A2CE @7 8C@H:?8 2?5 3F:=5:?8 E9:D E62>] x7 :E H6?E E96 @E96C H2J[ :E H@F=5VG6 366? 56G2DE2E:?8]”k^Am
kAm%96 (:=5 6?E6C65 E96 =628F6 2D 2? 6IA2?D:@? 4=F3 😕 a___[ 7:==:?8 2 G@:5 E92E 925 6I:DE65 D:?46 E96 }@CE9 $E2CD C6=@42E65 E@ s2==2D 😕 `hhb] ~?=J C:89E H:?8 |2C:2? v23@C:<[ E96 7:CDE A=2J6C 6G6C 5C27E65 3J E96 (:=5[ 925 2 D<:== D6E 2?5 D4@C:?8 E@F49 E92E C:G2=65 z2AC:K@G’D 😕 E96 9:DE@CJ @7 2 7C2?49:D6 E92E 92D ?@E 25G2?465 A2DE E96 7:CDE C@F?5 @7 E96 A=2J@77D 😕 `_ J62CD 2?5 92D ?6G6C C624965 E96 $E2?=6J rFA u:?2=]k^Am
kAm%96 ag\J62C\@=5 z2AC:K@G H:== 4@F?E S`f >:==:@? 282:?DE E96 D2=2CJ 42A 368:??:?8 ?6IE D62D@?[ E9C@F89 a_bc] %92EVD E96 9:896DE 2??F2= 2G6C286 D2=2CJ @7 2?J A=2J6C D:?46 E96 =628F6’D 42A 6C2 3682? 😕 a__d[ DFCA2DD:?8 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^@:=6CD\=6@?\5C2:D2:E=\4@?EC24E\53f2hgef2`646eh`de4ea7_475d_`57bQmt5>@?E@?VD {6@? sC2:D2:E= 2E S“a >:==:@? @G6C 6:89E J62CDk^2m[ 2 S`c >:==:@? 2??F2= 2G6C286] p=6I ~G649<:?’D `b\J62C[ S`ac >:==:@? 4@?EC24E D:8?65 H:E9 (2D9:?8E@? 😕 a__g H2D AC6G:@FD=J E96 9:896DE E@E2= G2=F6]k^Am
kAmz2AC:K@G[ H9@ 92D bge A@:?ED 😕 b`h C68F=2C\D62D@? 82>6D 2?5 a` A@:?ED 😕 ad A=2J@77 82>6D[ E@@< E96 :46 7@C EC2:?:?8 42>A 62C=:6C E9:D >@?E9 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^H:=5\=6:A@=5\<2AC:K@G\4@?EC24E\`2ch67e_46f3d7fd`6_355f“`f`6gf4QmH:E9@FE 2 562=k^2m 3FE ?6G6C 9:?E65 2E 2?J 5:D4@?E6?E] vF6C:?[ >62?H9:=6[ AC624965 A2E:6?46 😕 =:89E @7 2? 62C=:6C @776C 7@C 2 C6A@CE65 S`ag >:==:@? E92E z2AC:K@GVD 286?E EFC?65 5@H?]k^Am
kAm“{@@<[ E9:D H2D 2 3:8 564:D:@? 7@C z:C:==[Q vF6C:? D2:5] “(6 E2=<65 23@FE :E] xE H2D 2 3:8 4@>>:E>6?E 7C@> 9:>] xE’D 2 =@?8 E:>6[ 2?5 H6’C6 E2=<:?8 23@FE E96 C6DE @7 9:D 42C66C]”k^Am
kAmr@>7@CE H:E9 A=2J:?8 7@C |:??6D@E2 2?5 4@?7:56?46 😕 E96 (:=5VD 7@F?52E:@? 7@C 2 E62> E92E 42? 4@?D:DE6?E=J H:? 😕 E96 A=2J@77D 4=62C=J 724E@C65 :?E@ z2AC:K@GVD 564:D:@?[ 56DA:E6 E96 D66>:?8=J 62DJ 6?E:46>6?E @7 E96 >@DE >@?6J 2? }w{ A=2J6C 92D 6G6C >256 @? @?6 4@?EC24E]k^Am
kAm“}@ >2EE6C 9@H >F49 >@?6J J@F >2<6 @C H96C6 J@F =:G6 @C 2?JE9:?8[ :7 E96 9@4<6J’D ?@E 8@@5[ J@F H@?’E 36 92AAJ[” vF6C:? D2:5] “p?5 E92E’D @?6 E9:?8 x =@G6 23@FE z:C:==i w6’D D@ 7@4FD65 @? E96 9@4<6J A2CE]”k^Am
kAmz2AC:K@G’D 562= k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^H:=5\8F6C:?\<2AC:K@G\D2=2CJ\42A\5g5b4bdbc_cdfgcffe`_23bc6`333e5dQmD6ED 2 ?6H 32Ck^2m 2E @?6 @7 E96 >@DE :?EC:8F:?8 7:?2?4:2= E:>6D 😕 AC@ 9@4<6J] %96 36DE A=2J6C 😕 E96 H@C=5[ r@??@C |4s2G:5[ 😀 6?E6C:?8 E96 7:?2= J62C @7 9:D 4@?EC24E H:E9 t5>@?E@? 2?5 4@F=5 364@>6 2? F?C6DEC:4E65 7C66 286?E @? yF=J `] y24< t:496= W’682DX 2?5 pCE6>: !2?2C:? W}6H *@C< #2?86CDX 2C6 2=D@ A6?5:?8 F?C6DEC:4E65 7C66 286?ED]k^Am
kAm“x’> ?@E E@@ J@F?8[ 2?5 :E’D AC@323=J =:<6 >2J36 >J =2DE 4@?EC24E 😕 9@4<6J] x 5@?’E @H] (6’== D66[” D2:5 z2AC:K@G[ H9@ H:== 36 bf H96? E9:D 4@?EC24E 😀 D4965F=65 E@ 6IA:C6]k^Am
kAmvF6C:?[ D:EE:?8 ?6IE E@ z2AC:K@G 27E6C AC24E:46 2D E96J 5:D4FDD65 E96 562= H:E9 C6A@CE6CD[ :?E6C;64E65[ “|2J36 @?6 >@C6] }@E 6:89E J62CD[ E9@F89]”k^Am
kAmz2AC:K@G[ H9@ 😀 A=2J:?8 @? E96 7:?2= D62D@? @7 2 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^DA@CED\?9=\9@4<6J\962=E9\>:??6D@E2\_`f`hd_aef_c76`gbh__f`7`3afa6fgaQm7:G6\J62C[ Scd >:==:@? 562=k^2m[ 9@=5D D6G6C2= 7C2?49:D6 C64@C5D[ :?4=F5:?8 E96 36DE 42C66C A=FD\>:?FD C2E:?8 WA=FD\f`X 3J 2 7@CH2C5] ~?=J ~G649<:? Wa_cX 2?5 pFDE@? |2EE96HD W`feX 925 >@C6 8@2=D E92? z2AC:K@G W`fcX E9C@F89 b__ 42C66C 82>6D] w6 H@? E96 r2=56C %C@A9J H:E9 af 8@2=D 2?5 ac 2DD:DED 😕 dd 82>6D 😕 9:D A2?56>:4\D9@CE6?65 C@@<:6 D62D@? Wa_a_\a`X 2?5 92D 366? E96 (:=5’D >@DE AC@5F4E:G6 2?5 5J?2>:4 A=2J6C 6G6C D:?46]k^Am
kAmx?;FC:6D 92G6 368F? E@ A@A FA[ 3FE z2AC:K@G DE:== >2?2865 c_ 8@2=D 2?5 bd 2DD:DED 😕 ef 82>6D 😕 a_aa\ab 2?5 ce 8@2=D 2?5 d_ 2DD:DED 😕 fd 82>6D 😕 a_ab\ac] {2DE D62D@? H2D 9:D >@DE 7CFDEC2E:?8[ H96? 2? F?DA64:7:65 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^H:=5\<2AC:K@G\:?;FCJ\_3ca3_dbfdahfeched4eaa__5ad6dfcfQm=@H6C\3@5J :?;FCJk^2m 6G6?EF2==J C6BF:C65 DFC86CJ 2?5 F=E:>2E6=J 4@DE 9:> c_ 82>6D] w6 DE:== 925 ad 8@2=D 2?5 b` 2DD:DED 2?5 C6EFC?65 E@ E96 :46 H:E9 2 7=@FC:D9 C:89E 367@C6 E96 A=2J@77D[ H96? 96 925 7:G6 8@2=D 2?5 7@FC 2DD:DED 😕 2 D:I\82>6 =@DD 😕 E96 7:CDE C@F?5 E@ ‘682D]k^Am
kAmp7E6C FD:?8 2 #FDD:2? :?E6CAC6E6C 7@C :?E6CG:6HD 5FC:?8 9:D 7:CDE EH@ D62D@?D[ z2AC:K@G 3642>6 4@>7@CE23=6 6?@F89 E@ DA62< AF3=:4=J 😕 t?8=:D9] w6 49@@D6D 9:D H@C5D 42C67F==J[ 😕 A2CE E@ 6?DFC6 E96J’C6 4@CC64E 2?5 2=D@ 3642FD6 96 92D 2 E9@F89E7F=?6DD 23@FE 9:> E96 (:=5 2AAC64:2E6 2=@?8 H:E9 >2?J @E96C A@D:E:G6 EC2:ED]k^Am
kAmz2AC:K@G D@F?565 2D E9@F89 96’D ?@E E9:?<:?8 E@@ 566A=J 23@FE E96 DE2EFC6 @7 9:D 4@?EC24E @C E96 64@?@>:4D @7 E96 DA@CE[ 9@H6G6C[ 3FE C2E96C 9:D 25>:C2E:@? 7@C DE2CD =:<6 ~G649<:? 2?5 !:EED3FC89’D $:5?6J rC@D3J H9@’G6 DE2J65 H:E9 E96 D2>6 E62> E96:C 6?E:C6 42C66CD]k^Am
kAm“x ;FDE =:<6 E@ =:G6 E@52J 2?5 5@ C:89E E9:?8D[” z2AC:K@G D2:5[ 255:?8i “tDA64:2==J H96? x 42>6 96C6[ :E’D |:??6D@E2 92D 2=H2JD 96=A65 >6 D@ >F49 — 😕 =:76 2?5 9@4<6J] x’> ;FDE 92AAJ E@ <66A 5@:?8 H92E H6 5@[ ;FDE H:??:?8 96C6] x 9@A6 7@C DFC6] x 36=:6G6 @?6 52J :E’D 4@>:?8]”k^Am
k9C ^m
kAmp! w@4<6J (C:E6C $E6A96? (9J?@ 4@?EC:3FE65]k^Am
k9C ^m
kAmp! }w{i k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^}w{Qm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^}w{k^2mk^Am
k9C ^m
kAmp? 62C=:6C G6CD:@? @7 E9:D DE@CJ :?4@CC64E=J :56?E:7:65 pFDE@? |2EE96HD 2D AC6G:@FD=J 92G:?8 E96 9:896DE 2??F2= 2G6C286 G2=F6 4@?EC24E]k^Am
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.