Minnesota Wild General Manager Bill Guerin today announced the National Hockey League (NHL) club has signed forward Kirill Kaprizov to a five-year, $45 million contract ($9 million average annual value) that goes through the 2025-26 season.
Kaprizov, 24 (4/26/97), led the Wild and NHL rookies with 51 points (27-24=51) in 55 games in 2020-21. He also led League rookies in goals, even-strength goals (19), power-play goals (8) and shots on goal (157), ranked T-1st in overtime goals (2), second in assists, even-strength points (38) and power-play points (13), T-3rd in plus/minus rating (plus-10) and T-4th in game-winning goals (3). Per NHL Stats, the 5-foot-11, 201-pound forward is one of four rookies since 1992-93 to lead a team in scoring during the regular season and qualify for the playoffs: Auston Matthews (2016-17), Filip Forsberg (2014-15) and Trent Hunter (2003-04). Kaprizov also led the Wild in goals, PPG and even-strength points, ranked T-1st in even-strength goals, second in PPP and shots on goal, T-2nd in assists and GWG and T-5th in plus/minus rating. He also led team forwards in TOI/game (18:18).
Kaprizov began the 2020-21 season with three points (2-1=3) in his NHL debut at Los Angeles (1/14/21) to become the third player in NHL history to score an overtime goal in his debut. His three points were also the most by a Wild player in his NHL debut. The native of Novokuznetsk, Russia, set franchise rookie records for most goals, PPG, EVG, OTG, assists, points, EVP and multi-point games (13).
The left-shot winger also set franchise rookie records with a three PPP night (2-1=3) vs. Colorado (4/7/12), a five-game goal streak (6g, 4/17-4/24/21), a six-game point streak (5-5=10, 4/29-5/8/21) and a four-game multi-point streak (4-4=8, 5/3-5/821). Kaprizov was named the NHL’s First Star of the Week on Jan. 18 and the Second Star of the Week on May 10. He ranked T-1st on the team with two goals and three points (2-1=3) during the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Kaprizov was named the 2020-21 Calder Memorial Trophy winner on June 29, receiving 99 out of 100 first place votes, to become the first Wild player to win the award. He was selected by Minnesota in the fifth round (135th overall) of the 2015 NHL Draft. Kaprizov is the 10th Calder Memorial Trophy winner since 1970 to be drafted in the fifth round or later of the NHL Draft.
(info courtesy of Wild)