Welcome back to another rendition of around the NHL, as training camps are just around the corner. Teams are putting their finishing touches on rosters, as professional tryout agreements have been popular of late, meanwhile, Carey Price’s $10.5 million contract was dealt to the San Jose Sharks, just so the Sharks can stand clear of the salary floor.
The preseason schedule kicks off on Sep.20, but for now, here’s the very latest from around the NHL:
Wild to sign Kaprizov to mega-contract extension
Get ready to see a new standard for NHL contracts as the Minnesota Wild are closing in on an eight-year contract extension with superstar winger Kirill Kaprizov. There’s been numerous reports stating the average annual value of the deal could be north of $15 million, making Kaprizov, at least temporarily, the highest paid player in the league.
Wild owner Craig Leipold recently spoke to the media, and made it clear as day where thing stood with Kaprizov’s camp. “This will be a huge deal — likely the biggest in the NHL ever,” Leipold explained. “There’s no better human being or better hockey player or better person than Kirill. I think it will be a good conversation that we’ll have with him. I’m very anxious and looking forward to that conversation. I think we’ll move quickly after that.”
Kaprizov recorded 25 goals and 56 points in 41 games last season. The former 2015 fifth-round pick has been lights out for the Wild since day one in Minnesota. In 319 career NHL games, the Russian has scored 185 goals, and collected 386 points. The shifty winger has also been lights out in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, with 21 points in 25 games.
With Ryan Suter and Zach Parise’s buyouts finally behind them, the Wild are in a much better position financially, and GM Bill Guerin’s hands aren’t nearly as tied as they once were. Keep an eye on Minnesota this season, if they get stellar goaltending from Filip Gustavsson, there’s a very good chance they do some damage in the Western Conference this season.
Mitch Marner set to start with Jack Eichel in Vegas
Vegas Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy confirmed last week that Mitch Marner will start on Jack Eichel’s wing. It’s not set in stone that’s where Marner will stay, but Cassidy said he’d at least like to give them a chance to build some chemistry throughout training camp and the preseason schedule, and then go from there.
“We’ll see what the best fit is, but it’s probably that simple,” stated Cassidy via NHL.com. “I mean, everyone’s asked me. They will have time together. Whether they have chemistry, that’s to be determined.”
With Marner having pass-first instincts, and with Eichel’s game being awfully similar to Auston Matthews, you’d figure the two are going to hit it off, but frankly, anything can happen. It’s going to be a test to balance complementing each other and force-feeding each other the puck, especially from Marner’s side of things with his facilitating abilities. It’s certainly not a given these two hit it off right away.
“As a coach, you’re looking for, ‘Are they producing, are they reading off each other or are they getting in each other’s way? Is it fluid? Is it just organic chemistry that results in, well, them outplaying the other line they’re playing against?’” Cassidy said. “I think it’s that simple.
“And sometimes on paper you look at chemistry and think it’s going to work, and it doesn’t. And sometimes other lines just come together naturally. So that, to me, is a little bit unpredictable. There’s always cues that you think, ‘It will work.’ But who knows?”
Quick hits from around the NHL:
- Carolina Hurricanes signed Kevin Labanc to a professional tryout agreement
- Calgary Flames re-signed restricted free agent Connor Zary to a three-year contract extension worth $3.77 million AAV.
- The 2025-26 trade deadline is set for Mar. 6.
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Kevin Rooney, Luke Glendening, Adam Scheel and Georgi Romanov have joined the New Jersey Devils on PTOs.
- Derek Ryan retires after 10 NHL seasons and 606 career games with the Hurricanes, Flames and Oilers.
- Minnesota Wild added forward Brett Leason to training camp on a professional tryout agreement.
- Seattle Kraken released a third jersey ahead of the new season, which glows in the dark.
- Leon Draisaitl hopes Connor McDavid stays as long as possible in Edmonton, but there’s been some rumblings his next extension could be a two-year deal. McDavid’s admitted ‘all options are on the table’ when it comes to contract term.
- Eichel and the Golden Knights are discussing a long-term contract extension, and hockey insider Frank Seravalli thinks there’s potential it’s signed before the start of the new season.
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