Oh, how the tables have turned for the Minnesota Wild.
Just one week ago, concern was mounting that Kirill Kaprizov might actually not have interest in extending his stay in Minnesota, particularly after the rejection of a historic contract offer weeks prior.
However, all it took was a slight increase in offer, and the superstar winger will now be with the Wild for a long time to come, having signed an eight-year, $136 million mega-deal worth $17 million per season.
That extension immediately shifts the focus for Bill Guerin onto competing to win a Stanley Cup right now and throughout the duration of the deal, and to do that, he'll need to continue building and adding around Kaprizov and the rest of the core group.
According to Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman, because of that, others around the league already have their eyes on the Wild, and pending UFA Artemi Panarin is a target they're watching for. Here were Friedman's comments on the latest edition of "32 Thoughts: The Podcast."
"I heard he told Kaprizov we're going to add. And we are going to be in a position where because of some of these other contracts we have, we're going to be able to go out there and add some players. I had a manager say to me, because Theofanous also represents Panarin. He wondered if the Wild would try for him... I think that's one of the things that Minnesota's kind of positioning themself as; even with this deal we might still be able to do some other things," Friedman said.
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The 33-year-old, Panarin, is entering the final season of the seven-year, $81,499,999 contract he signed to join the Rangers as a UFA in 2019.
The Kaprizov factor
With Kirill Kaprizov, a superstar and the face of the franchise, now locked in for the next nine years, it changes everything for the Wild.
Players like Panarin and others who become available in free agency or via the trade market will all certainly be more intrigued by Minnesota, knowing Kaprizov will be there for the long term.
That previous uncertainty, along with the flat cap, had restricted Bill Guerin in the past, but moving forward, there is no reason he shouldn't be able to add talent to his group.
The thought of a Kaprizov and Panarin pairing in Minnesota is reminiscent of the Patrick Kane and Panarin days in Chicago, which was something special.
All of that being said, it will be fascinating to see what else the Minnesota Wild have up their sleeve now that they've completed their most important piece of business.