Kirill Kaprizov is crucial to what the Minnesota Wild do.
That makes the coming weeks and months crucial. He's entering the final year of his current contract, and an extension seems imperative for the Wild.
Good news, then: NHL insider Frank Seravelli expects Kaprizov to get a deal signed before the season.
Seravelli projects it to be for more than the $13.5 million per year he's expecting for Golden Knights center Jack Eichel. If Kaprizov were to get $14 million per year over eight years, it'd be $112 million.
"I don't know how the Wild chart their path forward offensively putting the puck in the net if they don't have Kirill Kaprizov in the fold," Seravelli said on the B/R Open Ice stream. "It's just about wrapping their head around it."
Kaprizov is part of a loaded free agent class.
Seravelli expects Eichel to sign first, then Kaprizov. He's not as sure about the outcome for Connor McDavid, the unquestioned No. 1 free agent in the 2026 class.
There's a chance Kaprizov gets the biggest contract ever by annual average value, although McDavid would then eventually surpass that.
Kaprizov is coming off a season when he missed 41 games in the regular season due to injury.
He still scored 25 goals and added 31 assists in just 41 games played.
In the 2023-24 season when Kaprizov was healthy for 75 games, he had 46 goals and 50 assists.
Two seasons prior to that, he had 47 goals and 61 assists, both career bests.
Kaprizov is 28 years old. The former fifth-round pick has exceeded all expectations.
His next contract should continue to prove just how valuable Kaprizov has been and will be to the Wild.
MORE: The latest on Jack Eichel and the Vegas Golden Knights