Wild taking the only approach they can with Kirill Kaprizov

The Minnesota Wild want Kirill Kaprizov in the fold as soon as possible, but they are handling a tough situation the only way they can right now.

It seems the Minnesota Wild have been awaiting the arrival of top prospect Kirill Kaprizov for a long time. A fifth-round pick in 2015, his contract in the KHL has now expired and the door is theoretically as open as its ever been for him to come to the NHL. A two-year entry level deal would seem to be in the cards.

But the suspension of the 2019-20 NHL season has added some level of complication for every team. The idea Kaprizov could return to Russia for one more season is even out there. For Wild fans, that’s what’s called a buzz kill.

For his significant part in the equation, Wild general manager Bill Guerin is taking a measured approach to a difficult situation with Kaprizov.

Via Dan Myers of the team’s website.

“I understand the anticipation of Kirill, and him getting signed, but this is just one of those things that’s gonna take a little bit of time. Would I have liked this done three weeks ago? Sure, I would have liked this done three years ago. But this is an unusual situation, and had things gone the way they normally would have, without coronavirus, things probably would have been different.”

Signing Kaprizov to a deal right now would cover whatever the shape of a resumed season takes. It would surely give the Wild some needed scoring punch in a potential 24-team playoff format, and it would also allow Kaprizov to burn a year of his entry level deal in a shortened season. However the NHL has paused their rules regarding late signings like that, and without a change when a season presumably resumes Kaprizov would not be eligible to play until the start of the 2020-21 season.

Michael Russo of The Athletic (subscription required) pointed to a significant wrinkle in the situation if things take shape a certain way in terms of the NHL resuming play this and/or into next season. Once Jan. 1 passes, Kaprizov will be in his 24-year-old year old year. That means he would only be able to sign a one-year entry-level contract, not a two-year deal.

There is little question Kaprizov can succeed in the NHL, with 33 goals and 62 points in 57 games for CSKA Moscow this season and strong work for that team in the KHL over the last three seasons.

The question is when that move stateside will come for Kaprizov. The Wild are handling the situation the only way they can right now though, within a set of circumstances that are out of anyone’s control.

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