Minnesota Wild sign Kirill Kaprizov to richest deal in NHL history: $136 million over 8 years | National Sports

The Minnesota Wild signed star left wing Kirill Kaprizov to an eight-year, $136 million extension on Tuesday, giving him the richest contract in NHL history.

The 28-year-old Kaprizov will count $17 million against the salary cap beginning next season, through 2034. That’s the highest annual average salary of any player since the league’s cap era began in 2005, surpassing Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl at $112 million over eight years, a $14 million annual average. Alex Ovechkin’s 13-year, $124 million contract signed with Washington in 2008 was previously the highest total value.

kAm“(6 ?6G6C H2?E65 E@ 6?E6CE2:? z:C:== ?@E 36:?8 96C6[” 86?6C2= >2?286C q:== vF6C:? D2:5]k^Am

kAmz2AC:K@G’D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^H:=5\8F6C:?\<2AC:K@G\D2=2CJ\42A\5g5b4bdbc_cdfgcffe`_23bc6`333e5dQm4@?EC24E D6ED 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

kAmz2AC:K@G H:== A=2J E9:D D62D@? @? E96 7:?2= J62C @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 96 D:8?65 😕 $6AE6>36C a_a`[ H96? 96 DE2CE65 E92E 4@?EC24E 3J E2==J:?8 cf 8@2=D 2?5 e` 2DD:DED 😕 g` 82>6D 😕 E96 a_a`\aa D62D@?[ 2== 42C66C 9:89D] z2AC:K@G 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]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[ @A6?65 EC2:?:?8 42>A 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 C6:E6C2E65 E@ C6A@CE6CD 27E6C E96 7:CDE AC24E:46 D6DD:@? 9@H >F49 96 6?;@JD E96 %H:? r:E:6D 2C62[ E96 72?D[ 9:D E62>>2E6D 2?5 E96 @C82?:K2E:@?]k^Am

kAm$E:==[ 96 24@H=65865 @? %F6D52J E92E E96 D:8?:?8 AC@G:565 D:8?:7:42?E C6=:67 H:E9 E96 C68F=2C D62D@? DE2CE:?8 😕 ?:?6 52JD]k^Am

kAm“}@H :EVD 2== 5@?6 2?5 H6 ;FDE DE2CE A=2J:?8 2?5 H6 5@?VE E9:?< 23@FE E9:D[” z2AC:K@G D2:5]k^Am

kAmz2AC:K@G H@? E96 r2=56C %C@A9J H:E9 af 8@2=D 2?5 ac 2DD:DED 😕 dd 82>6D 😕 E96 A2?56>:4\D9@CE6?65 a_a_\a` D62D@? 2?5 92D 366? E96 (:=5’D >@DE AC@5F4E:G6 2?5 5J?2>:4 A=2J6C 6G6C D:?46] w6 C646:G65 hh @7 `__ 7:CDE\A=246 G@E6D 2D E96 =628F6’D E@A C@@<:6[ 364@>:?8 E96 7:CDE (:=5 A=2J6C E@ H:? E96 2H2C5]k^Am

kAmsC27E65 😕 E96 7:7E9 C@F?5 😕 a_`d[ z2AC:K@G DE2J65 2?5 A=2J65 😕 E96 zw{ 😕 9:D ?2E:G6 #FDD:2 F?E:= 7:?2==J D:8?:?8 H:E9 |:??6D@E2 😕 yF=J a_a_] %96 @?=J D?28D 7@C E96 (:=5 D:?46 E96? 92G6 4@>6 @77 E96 :46] %96 A2?56>:4 >256 ?68@E:2E:@?D >@C6 5:77:4F=E @? 9:D AC6G:@FD 562=[ H9:49 5:5?’E 86E 5@?6 F?E:= C:89E 367@C6 EC2:?:?8 42>A]k^Am

kAm%96 7@==@H:?8 DF>>6C[ 9:D C6EFC? E@ #FDD:2 =65 E@ 2 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^CFDD:2\FAE E@ EC2G6= 324< E@ E96 &]$] 3642FD6 @7 A@=:E:42= C6=2E:@?D 36EH66? E96 EH@ 4@F?EC:6D] tIA:C2E:@? @7 9:D H@C< G:D2 2?5 A2?56>:4\C6=2E65 324<=@8D 2E 7@C6:8? 4@?DF=2E6D >256 E96 A2A6CH@C< AC@46DD >@C6 4@>A=:42E65]k^Am

kAmx?;FC:6D 3682? E@ A@A FA 7@C z2AC:K@G[ 3FE 96 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@ E96 ‘682D v@=56? z?:89ED]k^Am

kAmz2AC:D@G 😀 36=@G65 😕 E96 (:=5 =@4<6C C@@>[ 2 7C6BF6?E=J D>:=:?8[ D@7E\DA@<6? A=2J6C H9@ 92D :>AC@G65 9:D t?8=:D9 E@ E96 A@:?E H96C6 96 5@6D?’E FD6 2? :?E6CAC6E6C =:<6 96 5:5 2E E96 368:??:?8 @7 9:D 42C66C] ~?=J C:89E H:?8 |2C:2? v23@C:<[ E96 7:CDE A=2J6C 6G6C 5C27E65 3J E96 (:=5[ H9@ 6?E6C65 E96 =628F6 2D 2? 6IA2?D:@? 4=F3 😕 a___[ 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 ?6G6C C624965 E96 $E2?=6J rFA u:?2=]k^Am

kAm&?E:= ?@H[ E96 =@?86DE 2?5 C:496DE 4@?EC24ED 😕 (:=5 9:DE@CJ H6?E E@ =67E H:?8 +249 !2C:D6 2?5 5676?D6>2? #J2? $FE6C[ H9@ D:8?65 :56?E:42= `b\J62C[ Shg >:==:@? 562=D @? yF=J c[ a_`a] %96 3FJ@FED @7 E9@D6 562=D 😕 a_a` 42>6 2E 2 4@DE[ A2CE:4F=2C=J 5FC:?8 E96 =2DE EH@ D62D@?D H:E9 E96 492C86D 244@F?E:?8 7@C 23@FE `fT @7 E96 E62>VD D2=2CJ 42A]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.