Guerin made it clear Kaprizov’s camp knew the Wild’s plan, which saw the team make subtle changes in free agency instead of spending the windfall that came with having the cost of the Parise and Suter buyouts drop exponentially and the NHL salary cap rising.
The Wild do have flexibility to adjust in-season, an on-the-fly boost that they were unable to pursue when they were up against the cap ceiling. But while Kaprizov was unsigned, they were in limbo.
Last contract … maybe
During talks, Kaprizov reportedly turned down eight years for $128 million.
“I’m sure that didn’t hurt,” Guerin said about increasing the offer. “Hey, look, this was a big decision for Kirill. We talked about it. It was a big commitment from him. It’s a long time, and we’re talking about the rest of his career and that’s not a small decision. I think most people just look at the money and say, ‘Oh, it’s an easy decision.’ It’s not.
“It’s not an easy decision because no matter how much money you make or where you live or anything, if the hockey’s not good, you won’t be happy. And that’s one thing I love about Kirill is that he’s so focused on the hockey part. He just wanted to make sure that he was doing the right thing for himself and his happiness.”
Kaprizov especially mulled signing for that long, consulting with his family and those close to him.
