Wild GM Bill Guerin gets candid about Kirill Kaprizov's contract after Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel and other stars signed for less

Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin discussed Kirill Kaprizov’s new contract and why it was important to the team. The team’s left winger and alternate captain signed an eight-year $136 million deal starting in the 2026-27 season and running through 2033-34.

It came as other NHL stars signed contracts for less. Connor McDavid agreed to a two-year $25 million extension with Edmonton, while Jack Eichel inked an eight-year $108 million deal with Vegas. Guerin explained that while their salaries are lower, Kaprizov’s value to Minnesota is higher.

“Everybody’s got a price to where they want to play in their market, and Kirill is worth that to us," Guerin said on Wednesday, via The Athletic. "He’s that important to us.”

He added that letting Kaprizov go could have been worse than paying him $17 million per season.

“And we couldn’t take the chance of letting him go," Guerin said. "That’s great for those other teams, but it’s still great for us that we have him for nine years. And yeah, Jack is at $13.5 million, and that’s great. But Kirill is that important to us.

"If we let him go or we even flirt with it, who knows? The worst-case scenario is definitely that he leaves. It’s worse than paying him $17 million.”

Guerin previously talked about the team, highlighting that every player matters, but Kaprizov is the most important for the team’s future.

“This one is big because Kirill is our franchise player and keeping him was extremely important," Guerin said on Sept. 30, via NHL.com. "This is the biggest one in franchise history, for sure.”

The Wild’s decision to keep Kaprizov long-term shows that they want to build around him and secure the team’s future.

Elliotte Friedman on Cale Makar extension following Kirill Kaprizov's new deal

After Kirill Kaprizov's big contract, Colorado Avalanche's Cale Makar could reset the D-man market. He has two years left on his six-year $54 million deal, and may sign an extension in July 2026.

NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported that the Avalanche may give him a blank check because of his importance.

"Now that Kaprizov and McDavid are done, all eyes are on Cale Maker as the next potential nuclear explosion," Friedman wrote on Tuesday, via Sportsnet. "Colorado’s been preparing for it, and may just hand him a blank cheque."

Makar has been a key player for the team, scoring a career-high 30 goals last season with a plus-minus rating of 28.