Could Kaprizov Extension Get ‘Too High for the Wild to Stomach’?

The Minnesota Wild are having a difficult summer on the negotiations front. We all know the latest on the Marco Rossi RFA saga (and it's not good). Then there's the Kirill Kaprizov situation. The best player in franchise history is going into the final season of his five-year, $45 million contract ($9M AAV). The Wild are desperate to get him signed to a long-term extension, but so far, nothing has come to fruition.

Per Joe Smith & Michael Russo in The Athletic, "The Wild and Kaprizov’s camp are taking a breather (in negotiations), with the next step likely coming in a face-to-face meeting with Guerin when the Russian winger arrives in the Twin Cities next month."

We all heard owner Craig Leipold say at the beginning of last season, “I will tell you nobody will offer more money than us, or longer. So all we have to do is prove to him that we want to win.”

Is Kaprizov convinced of the 'winning' culture, enough to sign up for eight years?

And as for the Wild, with a $15 million AAV almost certainly on the table, Smith & Russo ask the burning question:

"Is there an AAV too high for the Wild to stomach?"

The pair then start to answer their own question, stating that "Kaprizov is arguably a top-10 player in the world. He’s irreplaceable. So the price tag is going to be high".

Again, the prevailing notion is that an eight-year, $120 million deal ($15 million AAV) should be able to get it done, as that would make Kaprizov the highest-paid player in the game for 2026-27 (until, of course, Connor McDavid gets his new extension that also kicks in that year).

But what if Kaprizov wants more than $15 Mill? What if he wants "McDavid money"? Just how high would Leipold and the Wild be willing to go?

As the insiders note:

Even though the Wild need Kaprizov more than Kaprizov needs the Wild (he’s going to get paid in any scenario), the higher this AAV goes, the more it becomes a risk for the Wild, especially if they want to afford complementary players around him.

They even go so far as to suggest that if their superstar winger isn't willing to sign once the two sides get together face-to-face before training camp to discuss specifics, they just might have to consider the unthinkable, and "inquire on teams Kaprizov would be willing to be traded to."

And no one in Minnesota would be able to stomach that.