Kirill Kaprizov was handed an eight-year, $128 million contract by the Minnesota Wild after missing multiple games last season due to a lower-body injury. This is enough proof of the faith the organization has in the face of the franchise. However, Kaprizov shocked the league by turning down the mammoth offer. Wild fans wait in anticipation as Kaprizov’s five-year, $45 million contract inches towards conclusion.
On previous occasions, the 28-year-old has squarely expressed his love for Minnesota, calling it his “second home.” In view of such statements, the contract deadlock situation seems elusive. To make things worse, rumors about alleged tampering have arisen to give the storyline a dramatic turn.
Could Tampering be at Work Behind Kirill Kaprizov-Minnesota Wild Contract Holdup?
The uncertainty surrounding Kaprizov’s future at Minnesota has everyone worried, down to the team’s owner, Craig Leipold. Leipold has evaded questions about this sensitive subject. “I said I wasn’t going to talk about Kirill,” responded Leipold when asked about Kaprizov in a recent interaction with the Athletic. “I really am serious. There’s nothing to gain. Everything to lose.”
In the same article, Michael Russo and Joe Smith reminisce about the haughty claim Leipold had made last year, around the same time, about no team ever exceeding any offer that Kaprizov could receive from the Wild. “Remember, it was last year at this time that Leipold vowed that no team could or would offer Kaprizov more money and more term than the Wild could on an extension.”
Yet, given the current contract fiasco, it seems that some tampering could be involved. Russo joined host Jeff Marek and Greg Wyshynski on The Sheet podcast to weigh in on the situation. Elliotte Friedman previously speculated that Kaprizov was being tampered with, hindering contract talks with the Wild.
Michael Russo: Re Kaprizov tampering speculation: I know the Wild are definitely worried about it, and if it’s going on they’ll try to deal with it – The Sheet (9/26)
— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) September 26, 2025
“[Elliotte] has been making noise about there being some level of tampering involved here, and the idea that Paul and Kirill might have an idea of something being on the table that has them so enticed to not accept anything from the Wild,” stated Wyshynski on the podcast.
Could Kaprizov and agent Paul Theofanous be ensured of a bigger contract when the elite winger hits free agency in 2026? Possibly, but not necessarily. In response, Russo stated that the Wild would devise measures to counter tampering if that were the case. But it is very natural for Theofanous, as it is for any good agent, to explore every possible option before a player of Kaprizov’s stature finally commits.
Read More: Minnesota Wild Owner Turns Heads With Curious 7-Word Message On Kirill Kaprizov’s $128M Standoff
“I know that the Wild are definitely worried about it. Um, you know, and if it’s going on, they’ll try to deal with it. All I could tell you is, you know, it doesn’t even need to be tampering. It could just be, you know, assumptions. I mean, you know, all good agents look at other teams and try to figure out, all right, who can offer the most money, who would want to clear space for them.”
Be it tampering or just an incredible agent at work waiting to land the best possible deal for Kaprizov, the storyline has developed into one of the most interesting ones in the NHL.
