If Minnesota Wild left winger Kirill Kaprizov wasn't already a much-watch star, he will be this season. At his best, Kaprizov can challenge not only for the Maurice 'Rocket' Richard Trophy as the NHL goals leader but for the Hart Trophy as the MVP. As he enters his contract year, however, the biggest question is whether he can eventually lead the Wild [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/minnesota-wild] to a Stanley Cup championship. You can see why Kaprizov could win at least the 'Rocket' and the Hart. Kaprizov had an unfortunate year on the health front in 2024-25, playing only 41 games – a career-low for the Russian in his five NHL seasons. But even then, Kaprizov posted 25 goals and 31 assists in those 41 games – a 50-goal, 62-assist pace that would’ve beat his current career highs of 47 goals and 61 assists. We’re taking it that Kaprizov’s health issues are behind him. That should petrify every NHL player tasked with defending against him in 2025-26. Because it’s certainly not out of the realm of possibility that Kaprizov asserts himself as a top-five player in the league. If he can do that, Kaprizov could become the first Russian player to win the Hart Trophy since Tampa Bay [http://thn.com/tampabay]’s Nikita Kucherov did so in 2018-19. His odds of doing so are at 9.00 (+800), according to BetMGM [https://betmgmsporton.onelink.me/otUl/4rkbpwij]. Before last season, Kaprizov combined for 133 goals in three years. That's an average of 44.3 goals per season, and at 28 years old, he's entering his prime years. There's still room to grow for him, which makes competing for a 'Rocket' Richard Trophy possible. He has 6.50 (+550) odds of winning it, per BetMGM [https://sports.betmgm.ca/en/blog/league/nhl/?utm_source=thehockeynews&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=nhl_blog_page], which puts him just below the top tier of Leon Draisaitl and Auston Matthews, but he'll be worth following in that regard. And this brings us to the last goal in that trio of goals – winning the Cup with the Wild. Matt Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov (Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images) [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/c1c98d4f-6325-4926-bd17-a38ca6b2d588.jpeg] Matt Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov (Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images) Certainly, Kaprizov and his Minnesota teammates are facing an uphill battle to rise to the top of the Central Division and go on a long playoff run. While they were as high as fourth in the NHL in early January 2025, they were in the Western Conference's second wild-card spot by the time Kaprizov returned from injury, and the Colorado Avalanche [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/colorado-avalanche], Dallas Stars [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/dallas-stars] and Winnipeg Jets [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/winnipeg-jets] are ahead of the Wild in their competitive cycles. Also a motivating factor for Kaprizov in 2025-26 is the fact he’s entering a contract year, and he’ll be a UFA next summer – perhaps the most sought-after free agent who could be on the market if Connor McDavid re-signs with the Edmonton Oilers. [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/oilers-connor-mcdavid-has-an-easy-way-to-avoid-distractions] There's no question the Wild need to get Kaprizov’s signature on a long-term contract extension. But he’s going to get a massive raise on his current $9-million cap hit [https://puckpedia.com/player/kirill-kaprizov], and the only two questions are whether he sets a new bar as the top-paid player in the league, and which team pays him at least $13 million annually on a new deal. Minnesota’s core of young players revolves around Kaprizov, so we don’t see him leaving for another team anytime soon. But make no mistake – Kaprizov and the Wild have every reason and every desire to bring Minnesota its first-ever Stanley Cup. Kaprizov has already asserted himself as one of the NHL’s most dynamic competitors, and now, he’s got to find a new level to ascend to. That means winning more individual accolades to sit alongside his 2020-21 Calder Trophy as the league’s best rookie – and more importantly, that means carrying the Wild to a championship. Anyone who’s seen Kaprizov dominate believes he can do those things, but it’s going to take hard work, some puck luck and good health for him to be in a position to rise above the rest. And nobody should fully rule out Kaprizov achieving great things as an individual and as a team leader. For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free [https://thehockeynews.store/products/print-subscription]. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.
