The Minnesota Wild entered the 2025 offseason with a lot on their plate, including a crucial contract extension. With Kirill Kaprizov’s five-year deal set to expire next year, GM Bill Guerin wants to re-sign his star player before the season begins.
The Wild made their intentions clear with a massive $128 million contract offer. Yet with less than a week until training camp, no deal has been finalized. While rumors suggest Kaprizov has rejected the proposal, Guerin has finally spoken out about the stalled talks.
What Did Bill Guerin Say About Kirill Kaprizov’s Contract Rejection Rumors?
In the five years since his debut for the Wild, Kaprizov has firmly established himself as the face of the franchise. During this time, he has become the team’s all-time single-season record-holder for points (108), goals (47), and assists (61).
To keep Kaprizov in Minnesota beyond next year, the Wild have offered him an eight-year, $128 million deal with an AAV of $16 million. If accepted, it would be the biggest deal in NHL history. However, rumors suggest that the forward has already rejected the offer.
In a recent episode of “The 10K Takes Podcast,” Guerin finally broke his silence on these reports. He mentioned, “I don’t know where this stuff comes from. I know two things: that info didn’t come from us, and it didn’t come from Kirill’s agent. I still think we’re in a really positive place with Kirill.”
Wild GM Bill Guerin addresses the rumours surrounding Kirill Kaprizov’s contract negotiations.
(via @10k_Takes) pic.twitter.com/tYxFBEESDR
— BarDown (@BarDown) September 11, 2025
The GM remains hopeful that Kaprizov will choose to stay in Minnesota. Guerin believes that even though Kaprizov has yet to re-sign, fans shouldn’t panic. “I don’t want our market to go into all-out panic mode here,” he said.
Guerin mentioned, “The most important thing is Kirill and not getting him put in a bad spot. He’s an unbelievable player. And we want him.” He believes that as the GM, his job is to protect the players, and he won’t let rumors affect the organization’s relationship with the players.
From @mnwild GM Bill Guerin on @10k_Takes, regarding Kaprizov contract reports:
“I don’t want our market to go into an all-out panic mode here. The most important thing is Kirill and not getting him put in a bad spot. We love him. He’s an unbelievable player. And we want him.” pic.twitter.com/xvumkAZIFx
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) September 11, 2025
“Kirill and the organization, his agent and I, we have a very good relationship,” Guerin said. “We’re not going to let things like this get in the way. I still think we’re in a really positive place with Kirill. Part of my role is to protect him, so we’re going to let this go, and we’ll just move on.”
The forward’s value to Minnesota is clear. Even while limited to 41 games last season due to injury, Kaprizov managed 56 points and remained in Hart Trophy discussions. With 386 career points, he sits 5th on the Wild’s all-time scoring list.
Both Guerin and the Wild management will be hoping for a favorable decision from Kaprizov before the new season starts, but as of now, things remain uncertain.
