A Central Division team is reportedly eyeing up the possibility of signing Kirill Kaprizov in 2026.
Kirill Kaprizov, the talented Russian forward of the Minnesota Wild, still has two years remaining on his contract but is eligible to hit the free agent market as of July 1st, 2026, if he wishes.
There's no doubt that the Minnesota Wild will do everything in their power to get Kaprizov locked up to a contract extension, which he'd be able to sign next July, but it appears that another team in their division may be interested in signing him once he becomes an unrestricted free agent in a little less than two years.
Mark Lazerus of The Athletic recently reported that one of the rumours that was circulated at the draft was that Kirill Kaprizov may have interest in joining the Chicago Blackhawks in 2026.
However, Lazerus walked back his comments in a thread on X, saying he misspoke while making a podcast appearance and that while Kaprizov may be intrigued by potentially joining Chicago, it's not something he's wanting right now.
'Let me clarify, please: I reported back in June that the Blackhawks see Kaprizov as a potential big add in two years, this generation's Marian Hossa, so to speak. Is Kaprizov intrigued by the possibility? Sure. Does he 'want' it now? No. I misspoke extemporaneously on the pod.' Lazerus said.He went on to add, 'Kaprizov has two years left on his contract. This decision is forever away. Nothing is imminent, nothing is set in stone, Kaprizov is not asking out, nothing like that. Stand down. I didn't intend to imply otherwise.
In short: The Blackhawks have their eye on Kaprizov in two years, not the other way around.'
If Kirill Kaprizov happens to hit the free agent market on July 1st, 2026, the Chicago Blackhawks won't be the only team that'll have interest in the Novokuznetsk native, but they might make the most sense. Kaprizov will become a free agent just as the Blackhawks will be hitting their competitive window and would be a strong option to have playing alongside Connor Bedard.
For now, Kaprizov has his sights set to helping the Minnesota Wild return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs after they finished 11 points back of the Vegas Golden Knights for the second wild card spot in the Western Conference last season.
