I'd there fire from the smoke we heard recently from Kevin Weekes in reference to Kirill Kaprizov contract talks going cold?
Kaprizov does not have enough NHL games to be a regular group 2 RFA, meaning the Wild are the only team that can offer him a contract. The leverage he and his agent have of course is the richest team in the KHL, CSKA that hold his rights in his homeland.
According to the Atheltic's, Michael Russo, they can and will throw significant money at Kaprizov. That is the only leverage that agent, Paul Theofanous, has and a typical game that is played with European players.
I don't think this is a time to panic for the Wild faithful, as thw NHL is the best league on the planet with the greatest talent competing for the highest stakes. Kaprizov wants nothing more than to establish himself as one of the greatest NHL players to play the game. That can only happen in the National Hockey League.
It does create some angst for the Wild faithful, and rightfully so, as they have waited a very long time to have a franchise player to build around and get excited to watch wearing the Wild sweater.
This to me is just posturing so that Karill gets the best deal he can and for Bill Guerin, it presents his biggest challenge of an off season full of key decisions.
More to come on this and the many other roster decisions for Guerin to make...
Minnesota Wild Blogger • 
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