The Minnesota Wild are on top of the Central Division early in the 2026-27 season and a big reason has been the play of Kirill Kaprizov. The Wild star has been the primary source of offense for Minnesota this year, leading the NHL with 13 goals and recording 21 points in 13 games and it’s giving the league a reminder of where he was during the opening months of the 2024-25 season.
That season is considered the gold standard of Kaprizov’s time in the NHL as he elevated the Wild to a similar spot and even found himself in the mix for the Hart Trophy, given to the league’s Most Valuable Player, before a lower-body injury sabotaged his season.
Still, Kaprizov parlayed that season into one of the largest contracts in NHL history and after a solid but somehow disappointing campaign, the Wild wanted more from him this year. It’s why his fast start to this season is so promising and could have him carrying Minnesota into a similar spot and potentially give him a case to claim the Hart Trophy as the calendar comes closer to November.
The Wild’s tough decisions have unlocked Kirill Kaprizov’s potential
Kaprizov’s start to the 2024-25 season is ingrained in the brains of Wild fans. In his first 34 games, Kaprizov scored 23 goals and recorded 50 points, helping Minnesota post a record of 21-10-3. With 46 points, the Wild only trailed the Winnipeg Jets (25-10-1, 51 points) for first place and it felt like Kaprizov was on track to be the first player in Wild history to win the Hart Trophy.
Instead, his health ruined those plans. Kaprizov suffered a lower-body injury that landed him on the shelf for most of January and while he returned for a handful of games, he wound up undergoing surgery and returned just before the playoffs. He looked like himself during the six-game series against the Vegas Golden Knights, scoring five goals and recording nine points, but he didn’t look like the dominant player that fans saw to begin the year.
An offseason of rest helped Kaprizov turn in a solid 2025-26 campaign, but he didn’t reach the heights from the year before despite scoring 45 times and recording 89 points in 78 games.
That may seem like nitpicking for a player who has recorded at least 70 points in each season that he’s cleared the 60-game mark. But it inspired Wild general manager Bill Guerin to sit down with Kaprizov and challenge him going into this year.
In addition, the Wild allowed Kaprizov’s longtime linemate, Mats Zuccarello, to leave in free agency and rumblings of Minnesota wanting him to play a more “downhill” game started to surface as his eight-year, $136 million contract kicked in this season.
Kirill Kaprizov could make another run at the Hart Trophy this season
Those decisions have opened the floodgates for Kaprizov this year and have him on the same path that he was two years ago. Entering Monday, only Leon Draisaitl of the Edmonton Oilers (12) and Arturri Lehkonen of the Colorado Avalanche (10) had more than 10 goals to open the year and Kaprizov ranks third in points, trailing only Connor McDavid (33) and Draisaitl (23).
Even more notable is that Kaprizov is on an even crazier pace than he was during his Hart-caliber start to the 2024-25 season. While scoring a goal per game may not be sustainable – especially as he owns a 29.5 percent shooting percentage compared to a career mark of 16.9 percent – he’s still on pace for roughly 55 points over his first 34 games, which would put him squarely in the discussion for the Hart Trophy.
Even if his shooting regresses to the mean, Kaprizov could find other ways to contribute. Maxim Shabanov has been a solid addition and should gain more confidence playing next to Kaprizov when the Wild’s forwards such as Nick and Marcus Foligno return to health. A potential trade for Dylan Larkin could also boost his case as a playmaker who could put Kaprizov in even more advantageous situations to put the puck in the net.
The one thing that Kaprizov may not have in his favor is that McDavid or Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon haven’t won the Hart Trophy since the 2023-24 season, likely stripping away the voter fatigue that helped him two years ago. But if he keeps playing like this, the discussion is going to get louder and help Kaprizov reach the superstar level he’s been chasing ever since.
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