Kirill Kaprizov was a fifth round (135th overall) draft pick, landing with the Minnesota Wild in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. He is currently playing over in Russia in the KHL and needs desperately to be convinced that he would be a big asset in the NHL.
In the most recent 31 Thoughts column, Elliotte Friedman notes that the Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold was rumoured to be headed to Russia in a bid to convince the Kaprizov that his future was in Minnesota.
In the end, that rumour turned out false, as noted:
"Then-GM Chuck Fletcher went to see him and begin the pitch. Kaprizov has one more year to go, and there was interesting gossip that the owner himself would make the trip. Leipold had summer hip surgery, making that difficult, but, under Paul Fenton, the Wild will do everything it can to get the player to North America. – Elloitte Friedman (Sportsnet)"
At that time, Kirill Kaprizov chose to sign a two-year KHL deal instead and currently plys his trade with the CSKA Moscow team. Last season, he netted 15 goals and 25 assists across 46 games; a near point-per-game pace. He backed that up with 10 points across 19 playoff games.
So far this year, he has 10 goals and 7 assists across 22 games; again sitting close to point-per-game pace.
He’s a fast, two-way forward with a good shot on him; exactly the sort of young talent that the ageing Minnesota Wild team needs injected.
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The sheer fact that rumours existed suggested the owner was willing to get involved highlights how much the player is valued by the Minnesota Wild organisation.
It’s arguable that one of the early judgements on new Minnesota Wild General Manager, Paul Fenton will be whether he can convince Kirill Kaprizov to leave the comforts of his home-land and face up to the challenges of playing in North America.
As a fifth round pick, he’s definitely a shot at being a diamond in the rough, but it will all be wholly dependent on him actually coming over.
He wouldn’t be the first, nor the last Russian to choose to stay at home.
The best hope for the Minnesota Wild is that he stays out his KHL contract until 2020, at which point he’ll be over-ripe and ready for the new challenge of playing in the NHL.
If that’s the case, I have a distinct feeling that Kirill Kaprizov is a name that we may one day be hearing in the running for a Calder Trophy.
Maybe not, but the sheer fact he can score consistently in the KHL suggests there’s a little more to him than some prospects. It’s not exactly junior hockey, it’s the second biggest league (behind the NHL) in the world.
Not something you expect of a fifth round pick, but certainly an attainable goal, I reckon. He’s surely a beacon of hope for a new, younger group of Minnesota Wild players in the system.