Bill Guerin breaks his silence over recent Kirill Kaprizov contract rumors

Things are starting to get a little tense around St. Paul, as Minnesota Wild fans continue to nervously look at the clock ticking on Kirill Kaprizov’s contract negotiations. We headed into the offseason believing a deal would eventually get done, but that plan hit a pretty sizable snag this week.

On Wednesday it was reported that Kaprizov had received a record-setting contract offer from the Wild (good!) but promptly rejected it (NOOOO!!). It was a jarring way for Wild fans to re-enter the atmosphere of hockey news actually happening, and it was a less than ideal update on the single most important move the franchise needs to make.

Kaprizov is a generational talent, one the team cannot afford to let slip away. The report that he had turned down an eight-year, $128 million offer seems to suggest that a nightmare scenario is about to play out.

For as nervous as fans are, though, general manager Bill Guerin is doing his best to make sure everyone remains calm.

Wild GM sternly addresses Kirill Kaprizov contract rumors

Guerin sat down with the crew over at 10,000 Takes and pretty bluntly downplayed the report that Kaprizov had rejected a contract offer.

“I know two things, that info didn’t come from us and it didn’t come from Kirill’s agent, I don’t know where it came from,” Guerin said, noting that the two sides have a ‘very good relationship’.

Well that doesn’t sound as bad as the initial report made things seem. While he’s unbothered by the hiccup in negotiations, it’s abundantly clear he doesn’t seem pleased that information about the talks leaked.

“We’re working through things. We’re not gonna let things like this get in the way. I still think we’re in a really positive place with Kirill. Like I said, he’s just a great guy. Part of my role is to protect him, so we’re gonna let this go and we just move on.”

Let’s spare hyperbole, losing Kaprizov would be a crippling blow to the Wild. He’s a world-class player and has MVP potential when he’s playing at the high-levels we’ve seen from him over the past few seasons.

Injuries have cut into that and altered his trajectory, but even 80 percent of Kaprizov is better than almost anyone in the league. That’s who the Wild are trying to get under contract and he remains the nucleus of the team’s success.

The question is whether he believes the Wild are capable of building a winning team. Rejecting an eight-year contract — even in theory — suggests that there’s pressure on the Wild to provide a clear plan for seriously competing for a Stanley Cup over the duration of his deal. Kaprizov might also want to double-dip and structure his contract so that he can hit free agency one more time before he gets too old, thus securing another major contract.

Whatever the issues are, and whatever is true or not, the fact of the matter is the Wild need Kaprizov and must figure out a way to get a deal done. Guerin doesn’t seem too worried despite the bummer report on Wednesday, which is a positive sign, but nobody in Minnesota will rest easy until pen meets paper and the ink dries on a deal that keeps Kaprizov with the Wild long-term.