Just heard Russo on the Fan. Sounds like KK is close and he thinks term has been agreed to at 5 years and thinks the money at 9 mill as well. Other details to work out.
I loved the part where he ripped the Avs fanbase for basically being dumb. LOL
Kaprizov seen at a Russian airport. Love the Cash Cow hat LOL
https://twitter.com/RussoHockey/status/1432788155535699972?s=20
I just cant wait for this all to be done with Kaprizov.
I also loved when Russo trashed the Denver market.
I didn’t catch Russo with PA on KFAN but I listened to him later in the day with Common (whom I otherwise can’t listen to) but it sounded more to me like Russo was guessing the terms and money KK would sign rather than actually knowing anything.
Just read Russo’s article on the Athletic just posted a hour ago. Here’s a quote from his article.
As The Athletic reported in early August, the biggest concession from the Wild’s standpoint is their seeming willingness to pony up significant dollars — $8 million or $9 million annually — even on a midterm deal.
If that’s the case, my conjecture continues to be a contract with a five-year term around the $9 million mark.
So this is more conjecture on Russo’s part rather than breaking a story.
If Russo is making conjecture, its likely very accurate. He doesnt just float things out there without any merit. If he says something, I believe what he is saying.
I agree Russo has the inside track better than anyone. But 4 or 5 years at 9 mill per has been his conjecture for a couple months. So he is more or less clarifying this is not a breaking story as it seems to be reported elsewhere.
I agree Russo has the inside track better than anyone. But 4 or 5 years at 9 mill per has been his conjecture for a couple months. So he is more or less clarifying this is not a breaking story as it seems to be reported elsewhere.
The “breaking story” was misinterpretation of his comments he made on KFAN yesterday. Twitter was all ablaze saying that the value and term were “agreed to” and they were only working on the annual details which is not what he said. Someone made a graphic and even credited Russo for breaking it. To which he replied that he didnt say that.
Russo is one of the most credible writers out there and also one of the best. Yesterday he was saying that the Wild are hesitant to shell out big money on a guy who has only played 52 games in the league. Makes me think that KK’s agent was pushing for big money rather than a shorter deal.
Russo is one of the most credible writers out there and also one of the best. Yesterday he was saying that the Wild are hesitant to shell out big money on a guy who has only played 52 games in the league. Makes me think that KK’s agent was pushing for big money rather than a shorter deal.
I’ve held that position all along that I’m not quite ready to anoint him the next coming of Gretzky just yet. 55 games against seven other teams and only two of them being upper tier NHL teams to me does not prove a whole lot. He still has to prove it in at least one if not more full schedule regular NHL seasons and playoffs.
This negotiation has been like the Wild are dealing with a five year veteran who has proven to be the top winger in the league and a playoff beast. KK has no choice. Play for the Wild or stay where you are at right now. There is no reason this has gone on this long given what the Wild have reportedly offered.
Kirill has alot more leverage than people think. He’s the 1st legit superstar this franchise has ever had, he managed to be in the top 10 in goals despite playing with a center that was routinely scratched the year before and the Wild practically tried giving him away in trade proposals but couldn’t find a single team interested.
YES i will give you the argument that he played alot of games against mediocre teams, but so did everyone else in our division and Kirill was right there with most (sans MacKinnon and Rantonen, but those guys play together 1/2 the game)
IF GMBG played hardball and didn’t move from his 7-8 year term demands and Kirill then left to play in the KHL, the Wild fans would be outside the Wild offices with torches and pitchforks!!!
He had to sign him, not doing so would be career suicide to GMBG.
If he signs for the rumored 5 x $9 be happy Wild fans, we get the best 5 years of his career and then have the capspace to sign him longer than any other team in the league when his deal is up. You should be happy to pay your stars, plain and simple…
I agree it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see his skill set. He has plenty of leverage on a team that has been desperate for goal scoring for years, or more like since their existence. He was consistently the best player on the ice this past year. Seams like he has a really big passion to play and be successful by all accounts and is not afraid to go to the tough areas of the ice.
Not anointing him 99 but as a wild fan sorry we have never seen a player on this roster ever like KK. Partially the wilds previous regimes fault, but also partially his skill set. So yeah he has some leverage.
I don’t like how all of this has played out either, but at this point it is what it is.
I don’t like how all of this has played out either, but at this point it is what it is.
I don’t think any fans like it. But I’m starting to believe it was inevitable given the agent Billy G was dealing with. He gets his guys paid no matter what it takes and will use and create whatever BS leverage possible. He used time, the media, and the fan base’s emotions to squeeze out every last penny.
I just found out this week Theofanous started repping Tarasenko this summer and that situation is a total mess for the Blues.
I just found out this week Theofanous started repping Tarasenko this summer and that situation is a total mess for the Blues.
Yeah, he wants out. I was watching NHL Network last night and they were talking some landing spots.
Interesting today the Isles announced several signings (extensions), but not Parise. Perhaps they just announce the ones they extended and Parise will come in a separate announcement. I cant imagine he gets a multi-year deal. I forget who, but someone on their roster will be on LTIR I think its Boychuk???
I understand what a prick his agent is and how hard he is to deal with but imo it’s now gone beyond that. KK has some reservations. Maybe it’s playing with Rask again. Can you imagine how Rask must feel knowing he is so poor at his position he could be the reason this deal is not getting done. And it’s been publicly said so. How’s that going to play out in the locker room next year because he is going to be there.
Maybe he don’t like how the team is positioned cap wise for the next several years and does not want to spend time here hoping on prospects to reach the level where he thinks they should be to compliment his talent.
IMO the kid is ahead of himself assessing his own NHL talent. I appreciate his arrogance and confidence and obvious talent at this stage but you still need to prove it.
If he’s as good as he seems to feel he is then sign the contract take the most money in the history of the NHL for a player with 55 games under his belt and throw this team on your back and carry them to the promised land. It’s honestly his only choice but he apparently needs to be forced to swallow the pill.
ETA: The Wild are in the same position with KK the Twins were with Mauer. Sign him or the fans will burn your building down. That’s where Kk’s leverage is at. It’s a bad way for a franchise to do business. You never know when that chronic leg weakness is going to set in.
I understand what a prick his agent is and how hard he is to deal with but imo it’s now gone beyond that. KK has some reservations. Maybe it’s playing with Rask again. Can you imagine how Rask must feel knowing he is so poor at his position he could be the reason this deal is not getting done. And it’s been publicly said so.
Maybe he don’t like how the team is positioned cap wise for the next several years and does not want to spend time here hoping on prospects to reach the level where he thinks they should be to compliment his talent.
IMO the kid is ahead of himself assessing his own NHL talent. I appreciate his arrogance and confidence and obvious talent at this stage but you still need to prove it.
If he’s as good as he seems to feel he is then sign the contract take the most money in the history of the NHL for a player with 55 games under his belt and throw this team on your back and carry them to the promised land. It’s honestly his only choice but he apparently needs to be forced to swallow the pill.
ETA: The Wild are in the same position with KK the Twins were with Mauer. Sign him or the fans will burn your building down. That’s where Kk’s leverage is at. It’s a bad way for a franchise to do business. You never know when that chronic leg weakness is going to set in.
WOW 
Maybe his agent just knows he can get more money and less term the longer they wait?
Maybe you’re right. But at some point the agent works for the player. The player realizes that negotiations have reached the point where it’s becoming damaging to him and the team even if it’s just perception. Then the player if he gives a crap goes to his agent and says enough. Let’s get this done. I can’t go anywhere else they are offering as much money as they can just get it done. I want to be in camp I want to practice with my teammates blah blah blah.
That’s does not seem to be the case. I’m not buying this is all Theofanus.
Training camp hasn’t started, he hasn’t missed anything yet. All current reports point to a deal coming soon, and definitely before camp starts.
Give it a couple more weeks before going into full panic mode.
Oh I’m not panicking by any means. Frankly if he didn’t sign I’m fine let’s move on. The more time that goes by I’d say trade him for what you can get or let him sit there.
He’s quickly becoming that hot chick every body wants but her boyfriend is already sick of her $hit! 
One of Kirill’s best friends (Panarin) got a monster deal by the same agent, I’m sure he told Kirill to just let the agent do everything and don’t worry about it, as mentioned already, he hasn’t missed anything yet from a team perspective, (to use a basketball reference) he’s just using all of his available shot clock…
If he were to miss reporting to camp, then you can start putting some blame on Kirill.
If anyone of us were in the same position as Kirill, you’d want to be paid as much as possible as well…
He’s a unique case of circumstances (24 years old rookie due to KHL seasons, not allowed to join team in bubble after his KHL deal was done and he signs with the Wild (unlike every other prospect has in the past, including Cale Makar the previous season) then forced to live in a foreign country alone during a global pandemic and play in an oddball shortened season with very limited interactions with teammates outside of the rink and yet he still lights up the NHL with a lackluster center and wins the Calder and gives the top USA hockey market the type of player we’e waited 20+ years for)
There isn’t really any comparable cases to work off of….
Training camp hasn’t started, he hasn’t missed anything yet. All current reports point to a deal coming soon, and definitely before camp starts.
Give it a couple more weeks before going into full panic mode.
Just realized my post didn’t post for some reason, but I said the same thing. There are several RFA’s that have not signed long term yet. It’s not like he is holding out of camp or anything. Yeah trade him away for more unknowns that should help the team out. Keep selling the future like the twins and wolves. Sorry Icecap but I disagree completely.
Listening to BG and Russo tonight on KFAN should really walk a lot of people off the ledge. He doesn’t blink. He was so candid about the whole KK97 situation and he’s not surprised at all it’s taken this long. He’s said it going in it was going to take time and it has. He’s done this himself and he knows the situation. I think Russo may exaggerate things a bit but at the same time there’s a lot of truth too.
He’s done this himself and he knows the situation.
Billy’s go to interview line…
Contact hold out: “listen, I’ve been through it myself”
Trade someone: “listen, I’ve been through it myself”
Stick someone to Iowa: “listen, I’ve been through it myself”
Buy someone out: “listen, I’ve been through it myself”
He lived the full experience as a player, and that’s great experience for him as a GM now. I just laugh at how he seems to drop that line in every single press conference or radio interview.
One of Kirill’s best friends (Panarin) got a monster deal by the same agent, I’m sure he told Kirill to just let the agent do everything and don’t worry about it, as mentioned already, he hasn’t missed anything yet from a team perspective, (to use a basketball reference) he’s just using all of his available shot clock…
If he were to miss reporting to camp, then you can start putting some blame on Kirill.
If anyone of us were in the same position as Kirill, you’d want to be paid as much as possible as well…
He’s a unique case of circumstances (24 years old rookie due to KHL seasons, not allowed to join team in bubble after his KHL deal was done and he signs with the Wild (unlike every other prospect has in the past, including Cale Makar the previous season) then forced to live in a foreign country alone during a global pandemic and play in an oddball shortened season with very limited interactions with teammates outside of the rink and yet he still lights up the NHL with a lackluster center and wins the Calder and gives the top USA hockey market the type of player we’e waited 20+ years for)
There isn’t really any comparable cases to work off of….
All I hear is “until we hear from Kirill” Well we have in a translated interview where #97 said unequivocally that he and his agent talk about the contract all the time. He is involved. He is fully aware of what’s being offered and what his options are and the fact is he has no options. Play for the Wild or stay in Russia. Simple. He has held this team hostage the entire off season. He’s making himself look like a little biotch. Agent aside. I’d get it if he had three or four other options from other teams but he don’t. The Wild are his only choice if he wants to be in the NHL. Period.
BG is going to say all the right things on the radio. I’d be willing to bet the mortgage that he and the rest of the Wild front office are seething at the way this has transpired. It makes everyone look bad right now. KK will sign something and will lace his skates in a Wild sweater but he’s now put himself in a position where he best be on the point board every night or things could turn on him quickly. Can you imagine if this kid goes into a ten game slump which he will because even the best players do what the Xcel will sound like?
Listen to yourselves here. The expectations of him are already astronomical. Now he’s playing these contract games where the only leverage he has are 55 NHL games and a metric ton of expectations. He’s adding a huge amount of additional pressure on himself.
I’m waiting for the hour long ESPN special where he announces if he is going to sign or not.
I’ve played and watched enough hockey in my life to know when I see someone special playing it… i’m excited to know i’ll get to watch him play in a Wild jersey for likely the next 5 years… its as simple as that…
Fair enough, I get it and I’m sure KK realizes where he is going to play hockey for the foreseeable future but it would be damn nice if he at least pretended like he wasn’t getting a colonoscopy.
Can someone remind me again of why it was such a great strategic move to burn the first year of Kaprisov’s entry-level deal? 
Another Wild GM own goal.
There are a LOT of factors stacking up that don’t make me very optimistic about the next 5 years in WildLand.
1. Just out today in the Athletic, the Wild prospect pipeline is ranked—wait for it—15th in the NHL. Wha-wha. So basically the much-talked-about Wild pipeline is middle of the road, then.
The Athletic was especially pessimistic (or fans have been over optimistic) on Rossi, I thought. Athletic ranks his skills:
Tier: Projected bubble top and middle of the lineup player
Skating: Average
Puck Skills: Above-average
Hockey Sense: Average
Compete: Above-average
Did our read on the pipeline just look so good because with our Grade D- crop of franchise GMs, we’ve been SOOOOOOOO so bad for so long that now even middle of the pack looks awesome?
2. The Athletic’s GM/front office rankings. Can’t find the article, but once again MN was basically ranked as a middle of the road / jury is still out on BG & Co.
Not exactly a resounding vote of confidence in GMBG. The biggest trepidation overall was the combination of the pending Kaprisov deal (or not) and that sinking feeling that many of us had after the dual buyouts.
3. Speaking of buyouts–and we’re going to be doing this for a LOOOOOOOONG time…
It was reported yesterday that Tomas’ Hertl may not sign a contract extension unless Kane is off the team.
I’m no cap geek, but I’m not seeing how the Wild can be a player in an FA deals of players like Hertl. How are we going to pay for a Tomas Hertl type player when the buyouts hammer us and our cap situation starting next year?
I can’t see any way we can do anything except trade and swap salaries for years to come on top of the lineup players. Can we really sign any L1 or L2 free agents with our cap constraints going forward?
A Kaprisov signing would feel good, but I’m not sure the big picture looks very good. Someone, please convince me otherwise!
Yours truely,
Debbie Downer
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>CaptainMusky wrote:</div>
It was reported yesterday that Tomas’ Hertl may not sign a contract extension unless Kane is off the team.I’m no cap geek, but I’m not seeing how the Wild can be a player in an FA deals of players like Hertl. How are we going to pay for a Tomas Hertl type player when the buyouts hammer us and our cap situation starting next year?
Yes, they would have to trade and someone like SJ who is looking to rebuild would likely take on expiring contracts and picks/prospects. Not sure exactly what it would all take, but the Wild could send Rask (center for center swap) and add prospects and/or picks. Its possible. The buyout years are not going to be impossible to fill out the roster because there will be significant number of players still on the ELC deal. Also, Zuccarello’s Full NMC clause becomes a 10 team list so he could get traded as well. There will be options. Not all may work, but I hardly see the sky falling because of the buyouts, etc.
I’m no cap geek, but I’m not seeing how the Wild can be a player in an FA deals of players like Hertl. How are we going to pay for a Tomas Hertl type player when the buyouts hammer us and our cap situation starting next year?
Yes, they would have to trade and someone like SJ who is looking to rebuild would likely take on expiring contracts and picks/prospects. Not sure exactly what it would all take, but the Wild could send Rask (center for center swap) and add prospects and/or picks. Its possible. The buyout years are not going to be impossible to fill out the roster because there will be significant number of players still on the ELC deal. Also, Zuccarello’s Full NMC clause becomes a 10 team list so he could get traded as well. There will be options. Not all may work, but I hardly see the sky falling because of the buyouts, etc.
Yours truely,
Debbie Downer
Debbie Downer or voice of reason??
The only thing I disagree on is the prospect pool. The article you’re referencing is not a prospect ranking, but a U23 organization ranking. Every team ahead of the Wild has NHL regulars included, whereas the only player for the Wild with NHL games is Addison… who has like 3 career games. Good example is Dallas, whose prospect pool is trash, but they’re ranked ahead of the Wild because Miro Heiskanen is included. The Wild’s actual prospect pool is consensus top 5 right now.
The Wild burned Kaprizov’s first year because they got boned by Gary Bettman and the NHLPA. Islanders suffered from the same ruling and just signed Sorokin to a bridge deal that walks him straight to UFA.
Fans and media are building wayyy too much hype on Marco Rossi right now. All the hype videos and articles are setting the poor kid up for a disappointing introduction.
Billy G’s status is absolutely still TBD. He’s had good, bad, and shocking moves but it’s tough to gauge him after 2 super weird seasons. One thing he’s great at is talking to the media, and the fanbois eat that sheit up and love him for it.
Anyone who thinks the Wild have any chance at competing for a cup during the buyout years is nuts. Playoffs… sure. But there’s not a chance they can win a cup while operating at 80% of the salary cap. I think most reasonable fans have accepted that.
Debbie Downer or voice of reason??
The only thing I disagree on is the prospect pool. The article you’re referencing is not a prospect ranking, but a U23 organization ranking. Every team ahead of the Wild has NHL regulars included, whereas the only player for the Wild with NHL games is Addison… who has like 3 career games. Good example is Dallas, whose prospect pool is trash, but they’re ranked ahead of the Wild because Miro Heiskanen is included. The Wild’s actual prospect pool is consensus top 5 right now.
The Wild burned Kaprizov’s first year because they got boned by Gary Bettman and the NHLPA. Islanders suffered from the same ruling and just signed Sorokin to a bridge deal that walks him straight to UFA.
Fans and media are building wayyy too much hype on Marco Rossi right now. All the hype videos and articles are setting the poor kid up for a disappointing introduction.
Billy G’s status is absolutely still TBD. He’s had good, bad, and shocking moves but it’s tough to gauge him after 2 super weird seasons. One thing he’s great at is talking to the media, and the fanbois eat that sheit up and love him for it.
Anyone who thinks the Wild have any chance at competing for a cup during the buyout years is nuts. Playoffs… sure. But there’s not a chance they can win a cup while operating at 80% of the salary cap. I think most reasonable fans have accepted that.
100% on all accounts. There are lots of IFs in the coming years and if we catch lightning in a bottle we could be very competitive while eating up those buyout years BUT everything would have to fall right into place which would include: Rossi project as a top 2 center, Boldy top 6 wing, Addison being a competent replacement, and any number of prospects who arent even in NA yet would need to have significant impact this is years 3 and 4 from now.
That’s not all going to happen and so much can change between now and then.
There are likely many players currently on the roster who won’t be here. Fiala situation is uncertain, Greenway is due a new deal and he certainly is a prime example of someone who may be on the way out.
It will be interesting to see it all playout and I am really excited to see these young guys play. It could be painful for a while and they may not be in MN right away either, but looking forward to it regardless.
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