ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) 鈥 The Minnesota Wild have yet to secure star forward Kirill Kaprizov beyond this season with a long-term contract.
Owner Craig Leipold is trying to remain patient and stay in his lane, fully confident in leaving the process to general manager Bill Guerin and his assistants.
鈥淏illy鈥檚 the guy. He鈥檚 the one that does the negotiating, no matter who it is, and that鈥檚 his responsibility and his role,鈥 Leipold said on Thursday night. 鈥淲e’ve got a great relationship.鈥
Can the same be said about the dynamic between the NHL club and Kaprizov’s camp? That’s difficult to discern, with neither side divulging much about whether a new deal is still realistic before the regular season begins in two weeks. Leipold declined to discuss any specifics regarding Kaprizov, who has 386 points in 319 regular season games and 21 points in 25 playoff games.
Kaprizov said last week after the team’s first practice that he considers Minnesota his 鈥渟econd home鈥 behind his native Russia and likes being in the Twin Cities area and playing for the Wild.
鈥淲e have a lot of time. It鈥檚 just 2025, and it鈥檚 one more year I have,鈥 he said then. 鈥淚 just want to play hockey and focus and win some games and go in playoffs and win there.鈥
At his annual preseason media address last year, Leipold confidently said no other team could offer Kaprizov a longer or richer contract than the Wild. Guerin at the beginning of the offseason in the completion of a deal, but that didn鈥檛 happen during the summer and Kaprizov has been on the ice with the team for a week with no news about the 28-year-old left wing.
鈥淎s we all know, this is a sport that is more than one player,” Leipold said. “But obviously he鈥檚 a special player, and special players do special things. So we鈥檇 love to have a player of his caliber on our team.鈥
Which they do now, clearly but for how long?
One complicating factor in the Kaprizov situation for the Wild has been the rising salary cap and the other stars around the league who also are unsigned beyond this season.
鈥淭hat’s a lot of new money in the system that, frankly, a year or two ago we certainly had no idea was going to be available,” Leipold said. “So, it does change things, but we have to change with it.鈥
Leipold spoke to reporters during the Wild鈥檚 first home preseason game, their first time taking the ice at Grand Casino Arena. The 25-year-old facility has given the capitol city鈥檚 quiet downtown a boost of economic and social activity since it opened for the NHL club as Xcel Energy Center. The utility company鈥檚 naming rights for the arena expired earlier this year.
The Wild have begun talks with city, county and state officials about public help for a renovation project they believe is necessary to compete for revenue streams with newer NHL arenas and other venues in Minnesota.
Across the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, new Timberwolves owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez have begun to assess options for replacing the 35-year-old Target Center. But Leipold said the two teams will not consider sharing an arena like the majority of American markets with both NBA and NHL franchises do.
鈥淲e are going to stay in St. Paul, and they are going to stay in Minneapolis. It鈥檚 pretty hard to negotiate from that point.鈥 As for the Wild finally getting out of the first round of the playoffs, a feat they have only accomplished three times 鈥 and not in more than 10 years?
鈥淚 believe in it. I believe in hard work and preparation. I like our team. I hope we鈥檙e lucky enough not to have injuries. I think this could be a really special year,鈥 Leipold said. “I鈥檝e thought that before, but one of these years everything鈥檚 going to kind of come together in a nice package, and hopefully it鈥檚 this one.鈥
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