Star forward Kirill Kaprizov rumored to have chosen his next destination per Mark Lazerus

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MarcO
September 28, 2024 (2:57 PM)

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There are still two seasons left on Kirill Kaprizov's contract with the Minnesota Wild, and already rumors are emerging about his next destination.

The most recent speculation, from Mark Lazerus of The Athletic, is massive and could create one of the most prolific duos in league history.

Kirill Kaprizov with Connor Bedard in 2026?

Indeed, the journalist covering the Chicago Blackhawks stated in a recent episode of the podcast The Athletic Hockey Show that the Russian forward has his sights set on playing in Illinois with none other than Connor Bedard!

«I've heard this information from so many people at the draft [in Las Vegas], some working with NHL teams, others not: Kirill Kaprizov wants to come to Chicago [in 2026]. And that would be something, wouldn't it?»

-Mark Lazerus

In recent years, the NHL has seen many excellent duos form. Just think of Crosby-Malkin, McDavid-Draisaitl, Bergeron-Marchand, or even Matthews-Marner. A Kaprizov-Bedard duo would undoubtedly join that list.

In two seasons, the Hawks' rebuild will have reached another phase. The team will even be more competitive this season, with the return to health of Taylor Hall and the additions of Tyler Bertuzzi, Teuvo Teravainen, and Ilya Mikheyev.

Meanwhile, the Wild seem to have entered a more difficult phase. They missed the playoffs last season, and returning to the postseason in 2024-2025 will be very challenging in a highly competitive Central Division (Colorado, Dallas, Nashville, Winnipeg, St. Louis, Chicago, Utah).

In recent days, Bill Guerin has said that he continues to evaluate his forward ahead of his next contract. He stated that he expects more from his player next year, even though Kaprizov tallied 96 points, including 46 goals, in 75 games last season.

«Even though Kirill had almost 100 points and 46 goals last season, we want him to have a better start, and it's the same for Matt Boldy.»

-Bill Guerin

However, it seems that the Wild GM will be ready if his player truly earns a massive contract ($100M+). He is already preparing his strategy to fit it into the lineup and salary cap.

What could help Guerin offer a big contract to Kaprizov are the contracts of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. For the last time in 2024-2025, their buyouts will account for $14,743,590 against the team's cap. This amount could then be reserved for the Russian forward.

It will be interesting to see if the offer Guerin gives to Kaprizov will be good enough to keep him from joining a division rival and to quench his thirst to play with the Hawks' young phenomenon!