The Minnesota Wild and superstar Kirill Kaprizov have agreed on an NHL record-breaking contract extension. Kaprizov signed an eight-year deal carrying a $17 million average annual value, the team announced following reports from ESPN's Kevin Weekes [https://x.com/KevinWeekes/status/1973026157667946631], Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman [https://x.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1973027598793048193] and The Athletic's Michael Russo [https://x.com/RussoHockey/status/1973026299137679723]. That $136-million contract, which runs from 2026-27 through 2033-34, is the most expensive in NHL history. The previous high, in terms of total value, was Alex Ovechkin's 13-year, $124-million contract he signed with the Washington Capitals [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/washington-capitals] in 2008. Kaprizov's cap hit is also the richest in NHL history, being a $3 million increase over the $14 million Edmonton Oilers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers] center Leon Draisaitl agreed to last September. This new contract for the Russian left winger comes weeks after he reportedly rejected a $128-million deal [https://thehockeynews.com/betting/futures/kaprizov-betting-on-himself-rejects-historic-extension-eyes-career-best-performance-in-contract-year], which was likely spread out to $16 million across eight years, earlier in the month. Kaprizov is entering his sixth NHL season with Minnesota. He’s never played a full 82-game campaign as he battled injuries over the last few years. However, he’s proved to be one of the best offensive minds in the league. Last season, Kaprizov played 41 games and scored 25 goals and 56 points. Despite only featuring in half the season, he was still the third-highest scorer on the Wild, just four points behind second-place Marco Rossi and two goals behind leading scorer Matt Boldy. After missing some time, Kaprizov made it back before the Stanley Cup playoffs. He led the way for the Wild, scoring five goals and nine points in six games during a first-round loss to the Vegas Golden Knights [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/vegas-golden-knights]. Kirill Kaprizov celebrates his game-winning overtime goal with Marco Rossi on Dec. 3, 2024. (Matt Krohn-Imagn Images) [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/2726e96a-44d8-4c38-bfa7-e8f2b4159e04.jpeg] Kirill Kaprizov celebrates his game-winning overtime goal with Marco Rossi on Dec. 3, 2024. (Matt Krohn-Imagn Images) The 28-year-old has proven his value to the Wild, and he's received Hart Trophy votes in four of his five seasons to date. His best finish in Hart Trophy voting was in 2021-22, when he recorded a career-high 47 goals and 61 assists for 108 points in 81 appearances. The then-sophomore finished seventh in the Hart race. Kaprizov has the third-best odds of winning the Hart Trophy this upcoming season, according to sportsbook BetMGM [https://betmgmsporton.onelink.me/otUl/4rkbpwij]. Sitting behind [https://sports.betmgm.ca/en/blog/league/nhl/?utm_source=thehockeynews&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=nhl_blog_page] Connor McDavid of the Oilers and Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/colorado-avalanche], Kaprizov’s odds are set at 9.00 (+800). Despite only being a member of the Wild for five seasons, Kaprizov owns a few franchise records, including the most points in a season (108 in 2021-22). He is also fifth in all-time scoring for the Wild. Going into the 2025-26 season, Kaprizov has 386 points as he chases Mikko Koivu's franchise-leading 709 points. Kaprizov was one of the NHL's top pending UFAs in the summer of 2026. He skips the free-agent market, while McDavid has yet to sign a contract extension with the Oilers. Other pending UFAs include the Golden Knights' Jack Eichel, Winnipeg Jets' [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/winnipeg-jets] Kyle Connor, New York Rangers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers]' Artemi Panarin and the Capitals' Ovechkin. 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.
