NHL Playoffs 2021: 3 reasons the Minnesota Wild will win the Stanley Cup

2. Kirill Kaprizov is on fire

“The Thrill” finally arrived in Minnesota this year after some extended time in the KHL, and he has been as good as advertised (or maybe even better). He is the front runner for the Calder Trophy, the NHL’s Rookie of the Year Award, and he’ll surely get some down-ballot votes for the Hart Trophy as league MVP.

The previous marks weren’t necessarily stellar, but Kaprizov holds franchise rookie records for goals (24), assists (21) and points (45). The Wild finally have a young star with a dynamic skill set who tilts the offensive zone in the team’s favor, and everyone around him benefits. As some, like Judd Zulgad of SKOR North, have rightly lamented at times-imagine if Kaprizov had a top-end center on his line. If general manager Bill Guerin can find such a man in the middle, with a patient approach to this point, the sky is the limit for Kaprizov going forward.

In concert with their annual playoff shortcomings, the Wild have routinely struggled to be dangerous offensively. And, most obviously/directly, score goals as older players have looked old and worn down at the end of a long season. Kaprizov brings some long-needed spark, with an air of anticipation that something good is going to happen when he’s on the ice.