The Minnesota Wild have signed skater Kirill Kaprizov to an entry-level deal. The deal is for two years but Kaprizov will not be eligible to play in the remainder of 2019-20. The first year of the deal is also burned when counting service time.
Kaprizov Countdown: 0
NEWS: The #mnwild announced the club has signed forward Kirill Kaprizov to a two-year, entry-level contract starting with the 2019-20 season.
Welcome to the #StateOfHockey, @KaprizovKirill! 🖋
🗞 » https://t.co/skdkSkKPd7 pic.twitter.com/ZhHJgaYWa7
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) July 13, 2020
Wild Sign Kirill Kaprizov
Kaprizov had a very good 2019-20 in Russia. He scored 33 goals and 62 points in 57 games while playing for CSKA Moscow in the KHL. He also had two goals and four points in four playoff games before play ceased. The 23-year-old has been one of the top players in Russia for his entire career.
Minnesota originally drafted Kaprizov in the fifth round of the 2015 Draft. He is one of the team’s top prospects thanks to his outstanding skating ability and creative offensive game. Kaprizov makes up for a smaller frame by being fast and agile but he needs more strength overall to maintain puck possession in the NHL. He is also a tough player on defence but his size works against him there as well. He will need some time with Minnesota’s strength coaches to unlock his full potential but the tools are real and exciting.
What This Means for the Future
Kaprizov won’t be able to help the team in 2019-20 when play resumes but he is a major building block for 2020-21 and beyond. It is unfortunate that he also loses a year of service time with this signing but Minnesota should be able to sign him to a longer, more lucrative deal at the end of that one. He will be an immediate impact player on the Wild’s top-six when he is eligible to play next season. His skills have Minnesota fans excited for his future with the organization.
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
