Superstars all over the league are dominating headlines as they head into the final years of their contracts. Edmonton's Connor McDavid and Vegas' Jack Eichel feel like shoe-ins to stick with their current teams, though the terms for their new deals remain hazy. However, the future in Minnesota feels a lot less certain for Kirill Kaprizov.
There is no denying Kaprizov's impact for the Wild during his five years. He came out of the gate by winning the Calder Trophy in his rookie season. Kaprizov followed it up with 47 goals and 108 points as a sophomore. He's a three-time All-Star, a three-time 40-goal scorer, and a point-per-game or better player in four of his five campaigns.
Last week, it was reported that Kaprizov and his agent rejected an eight-year, $126 million ($16m AAV) extension presented by the Wild. This would've made him the highest-paid player in the league on the richest contract in league history. This news was followed with heavy speculation about what this means for Kaprizov and the Wild moving forward.
So, what does this have to do with the Carolina Hurricanes? Well, the Canes have become a reccuring landing spot for Kaprizov in the event of a trade. Wild insider Michael Russo listed the Hurricanes among the teams that would be very interested. But what would that trade look like, how would they make the money work, and does it make sense for Carolina?
What might it take to acquire Kaprizov?
First and foremost, I want to establish that there are only two players that I would deem untouchable for the Minnesota Wild to get this trade done. They are Sebastian Aho and Jaccob Slavin. While Kaprizov outproduces both, the Canes must establish a hardline that they are not going anywhere. With that being said, this is how I think a potential trade could look:
Acquiring Kaprizov would require the Hurricanes to trade one of their biggest forwards. That would either be Seth Jarvis or Andrei Svechnikov. In my eyes, Jarvis is too valuable for the team to trade. He's great on both ends of the ice and a key contributor on both special teams. As much as it would pain me, Svechnikov would almost certainly need to be the centerpiece of the return.
I've seen several trades include Bradly Nadeau as part of the return, too. I think that might be overkill, especially with the addition of two 1st-round picks. While both will likely be at the end of the opening round, it ensures Minnesota gets something out of this trade for a few years. For added intrigue, I made the 2028 pick conditional, with the Wild receiving the lower of the picks the Canes hold.
Instead of Nadeau, I have Justin Poirier heading north. A 5th-round pick in 2024, Poirier is a pure goal scorer. He has torched competition in the QMJHL over the last two seasons, scoring 51 goals and 82 points in 2023-24 and following it up with 43 goals and 80 points in 58 games last season. He'll be attending the University of Maine this season. However, if it has to be Nadeau, I won't be too upset.
Would this be enough to sway the Wild into making a deal? Probably not. It might take another roster player or another prospect to get the deal done. I think Svechnikov carries considerable weight in this return, especially with four years left on his deal entering the season. The production dip between the two players could be a cause for concern and make Minnesota demand a little more.
Making the money work
If this hypothetical trade were to happen before the season begins, there would be no issues regarding the cap situation. The Hurricanes have over $10 million in cap space, and the Wild have a little over $4 million heading into training camp. The difference between Svechnikov's ($7.75m) and Kaprizov's ($9m) contracts is just $1.25 million, which poses no real issue for either side.
It starts to get really interesting when looking ahead. As we've said, Kaprizov is a pending UFA and has already turned down an eight-year extension paying him $16 million per season, so the Canes might need to go a little higher to keep him in Raleigh.
The Hurricanes currently have $16.13 million to play with next offseason. They got ahead of it with several extensions. The only big things left on their plate are an extension for pending RFA Alexander Nikishin and finding another goalie with Frederik Andersen becoming a UFA. The remaining holes can be fixed internally. Taking Svechnikov's contract away, it leaves the Canes almost $24 million.
One beautiful aspect of the Hurricanes getting so many players locked up long term with the salary cap increasing is that it makes paying Kaprizov $16+ million per season more palatable. Their UFA class next season is very small, featuring a few depth players and Andersen. If you can get Kaprizov for 5-7 years at $16.5 million per season, I'd say do it.
Does this make sense for the Hurricanes?
I'd stop at a simple "yes", but I'll elaborate. If an opportunity presents itself for the Hurricanes to acquire Kirill Kaprizov, they would be foolish not to take it, unless the Wild are asking for a package so outlandish that it defeats the purpose. Otherwise, I would jump on this chance and give Kaprizov almost anything he wants. That's how highly he should be regarded.
However, I genuinely don't think the opportunity will come. For all of the smoke and mirrors that come with contract negotiations, I believe the likelihood of Kaprizov being traded remains very low, and I'll continue to believe it until something more substantial comes alone. Minnesota GM Bill Guerin seems confident something can be worked out, so I'm not holding my breath that the Canes are getting him.
Still, it's fun to ponder what a future with Kaprizov could look like. It would give the Hurricanes a legitimate scoring threat on Sebastian Aho's wing. It should also make Carolina an immediate favorite to win the Eastern Conference and, possibly, the Stanley Cup. I can't be any clearer that I don't think people should get their hopes up, but I wouldn't say it's impossible either.