One of the biggest storylines that has suddenly emerged in the days leading up to the 2025-26 NHL season is the future of Russian forward Kirill Kaprizov with the Minnesota Wild.
News recently broke that Kaprizov allegedly turned down a $128 million offer from the Wild with a $16 million salary-cap hit, which would have been the highest amount for any player in NHL history.
Naturally, this sparked a wave of concern for Wild fans at the thought of the top forward in team history potentially leaving for another destination. However, that thought isn’t crossing the mind of alternate captain Marcus Foligno.
What Does Wild Alternate Captain Marcus Foligno Think About Kirill Kaprizov’s Future in Minnesota?
Despite reports of Kaprizov rejecting the mammoth offer from the Wild, it’s not a concern for team alternate captain Marcus Foligno.
“He’s a franchise player,” Foligno said on Monday (per The Athletic). “He’s so special, and those guys, you can’t let go, right? It’s going to take time. You look at a lot of the superstars in the league. It’s going to take time. (There are) things they have to go back and forth with. We’re positive that he’ll be around, knowing he’s just focused on the next game and how to win as a team this season.”
Foligno then went on to say that Kaprizov isn’t the prototypical superstar player and prefers to keep things low-key.
“He doesn’t need the lights or all that stuff,” Foligno said. “He’s Kirill, man. He’s low-maintenance. He’s excited to be here. He loves everything about Minnesota. He loves the guys, and we love him. I’m sure it’ll work out for everyone.”
Kaprizov was selected 135th overall by the Wild in 2015 and burst onto the scene as a rookie in the shortened 2020-21 NHL campaign. Immediately, he set franchise records for most goals and points by a rookie and was named the recipient of the Calder Memorial Trophy, awarded annually to the top NHL rookie.
Kaprizov later set franchise records during the 2021-22 NHL season for goals, assists, and points, breaking the previous record held by Marian Gaborik.
So far in his NHL career, Kaprizov has scored 185 goals with 201 assists in 319 games, and has added 15 goals with six assists in 25 postseason games.
In May, Kaprizov expressed optimism about his future with the Wild, saying he “loves it here.”
He and the Wild are scheduled to begin training camp later this week and will open the preseason against the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday, Sept. 21.
