Kirill Kaprizov has been the heart and soul of the Minnesota Wild since he broke into the NHL fulltime in 2019-20. The Russian has emerged as one of the top wingers in the league, and he was especially exceptional last season, amassing 46 goals and 96 points in just 75 games.
But The Athletic’s Mark Lazerus recently hinted that No. 97 could be looking for a change of scenery when his five-year contract expires in two summers.
“Mark Lazerus of the Athletic said a lot could change before then but that the rumor on the draft floor back in June was that Kirill the Thrill wanted to be in Chicago,” reported the B/R Open Ice social media account late last week.
Although Lazerus walked back his comments shortly afterwards, saying that he “misspoke extemporaneously on the pod,” he also doubled down that Kaprizov is “intrigued by the possibility” of a move to the Central Division rival.
“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,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
The hockey insider finished: “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.”
It’s likely that the Wild will do everything they can to retain Kaprizov once he’s eligible to re-sign, and he’ll certainly be commanding more than his current $9 million AAV.
But in two years, the Blackhawks will likely have gone from bottom-feeders to playoff contenders in the Central, and that’s especially true if the development of young phenom and reigning Calder Trophy winner Connor Bedard continues.
A line featuring Connor Bedard, Kirill Kaprizov would be electric
It’s hard to blame the Hawks for wanting to poach a player of Kaprizov’s caliber out of Minnesota. He’s one of the most exciting skaters to watch in the league, and the 27-year-old seems to be getting better and better.
It’s also no secret that Bedard is a center; Kaprizov, a left winger. Those two on a top line in a couple of years in the Windy City would be absolutely electric, and probably get Chicago straight back to Stanley Cup contention.
Could Bedard and Kaprizov be the next Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane? Those are huge shoes to fill, especially as the Toews-Kane duo brought three Stanley Cup championships to the city in 2010, 2013 and 2015.
But the two players certainly have the mold to win championships. Bedard is fresh off a fantastic rookie campaign and already approaching superstar status, while Kaprizov has accumulated three consecutive 40+ goal seasons and is up to 330 points in just 278 career games.
Still, it’s just a rumor, and it’s hard to believe the Wild will let their star forward make it to unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2026. But if that does happen, the competition for Kaprizov’s services will be fierce — and it looks like the Hawks will be firmly in the running.
