Minnesota Wild star Kirill Kaprizov rejected an eight-year, $128-million extension Tuesday, sources told insider Frank Seravalli.
The contract would have been the biggest in NHL history in total money and average annual value ($16 million), Seravalli notes.
Kaprizov is set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer and became eligible to sign an extension July 1. Last week, Wild owner Craig Leipold said he was confident they would reach an agreement soon and predicted that Kaprizov's contract will likely be the richest deal in league history.
Edmonton Oilers superstar Leon Draisaitl owns the league's highest AAV at $14 million per season. That's set to be eclipsed in the near future as Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, and Kaprizov are all eligible to sign extensions or hit the open market in 2026.
Kaprizov has been the Wild's best player since joining the team in 2020-21. The winger won the Calder Trophy in his first season and has racked up 386 points in 319 games. The 28-year-old was an MVP front-runner in 2024-25 before an injury derailed his campaign. He finished the year third in team scoring despite only playing 41 contests.
The Wild selected Kaprizov in the fifth round of the 2015 draft, but he played five seasons in the KHL before venturing to North America.
Kaprizov is currently the Wild's highest-paid player at a cap hit of $9 million. His contract includes a no-movement clause, according to PuckPedia.
