Before the 2025-26 season got underway, the Minnesota Wild managed to signed forward Kirill Kaprizov to a historic deal, an eight-year, $136-million contract extension will make the star winger the NHL’s highest-paid player starting next year.
While the extension has been taken care of in Minny, the Wild is still dealing with collateral damage from the negotiations. It is not the first time fans hear about general manager Bill Guerin’s displeasure with rival teams attempting to lure Kaprizov away from the team that selected back in 2015, but now it looks like he wants to make them pay.
According to Elliotte Friedman, the Wild is looking to pursue punishment with the NHL when it comes to the team claiming they could offer way more money to Kaprizov if he hit free agency in July.
“The other story that will play out over time is: who was claiming they would offer Kaprizov $20M? Minnesota warned teams that if they ever got evidence, they would pursue punishment with the NHL.”
Hinting at tampering tactics, Friedman could see the Wild going after that team that did not play fair when it comes to Kaprizov.
During the ongoing negotiations last month, Wild insider Michael Russo had reported that the Carolina Hurricanes are emerging as the team most motivated to land the star forward, even if it meant breaking the bank. According to Russo, the Hurricanes were prepared to pay top dollar to acquire Kaprizov if the Wild decided to entertain trade discussions.
At that time, not knowing if Minnesota could get an agreement done, Russo had noted that Carolina was ready to act aggressively, offering both a clear path to playing in a contender and a salary package that could have challenged Minnesota’s current offer.
With Kaprizov now signed for the long haul in Minny, the Wild could look to get one team, perhaps Carolina, in serious trouble.