The Minnesota Wild weren’t supposed to be all that good this season, but the locker room never got that memo. They have been playing for each other all year , and Kirill Kaprizov has been one of the best players in the sport. It wouldn’t be a bad time for him to contend for an MVP award, and he’s putting the right foot forward to start.
Minnesota Wild’s Kirill Kaprizov eyeing the big one
On Wednesday night the Minnesota Wild played against the Buffalo Sabres. Kirill Kaprizov was back in the lineup and he announced his presence with his 14th goal of the season. It was just the 22nd game of the season for John Hynes’ club, and his superstar has looked the part of a Hart Trophy contender. The sportsbooks seem to agree.
| Sportsbook | Odds | Rank |
| FanDuel | +260 | 1st |
| DraftKings | +300 | t1st |
Yes, you read that right. The Minnesota Wild currently employ a player seen as the best in hockey. Marian Gaborik was a fun star . Zach Parise was seven years into his professional career. Kaprizov simply hits different. This is a 27-year-old that is just in his fifth season of NHL hockey. He has 174 goals to his credit, but this season the pace has been otherwordly.
Kaprizov leads the NHL with 35 points. His 14 goals are tied for fourth in the league. He has been a catalyst to a Wild team that has overachieved. Their 14-4-4 record trails only the Winnipeg Jets across the entire sport. To say that he has been amazing would be putting it lightly.
The Wild need to keep this pace up. The difficult part about coming out of nowhere is that you won’t ever receive early credit. The season is 82 games long, and no one will believe that Minnesota has staying power until at least the halfway point. If they are going to be in contention then, it will be because Kaprizov continues to be among the best players in the sport.
If Kaprizov remains on this trajectory into the latter parts of the season, he is going to continue generating national steam. Last year it was defenseman Brock Faber who threatened Connor Bedard for the Calder Cup. Being a standout rookie is one thing. Being the best player in the entire league is another altogether.
