The Minnesota Wild, much like any team, are getting ready for the 2025-26 season. But for Wild fans, they were given quite the jump-scare on Wednesday after a report broke regarding superstar Kirill Kaprizov.
Hockey insider Frank Seravalli reported that Kaprizov's camp had turned down a contract extension offer from the Wild. The contract was for eight-years, worth $128 million, which would have made him the highest-paid player in the league.
This report caused quite the stir across the league. Considering the contract would have paid Kaprizov $16 million annually and make him the richest player in the league, the belief has been that he will test out free agency next summer.
Kaprizov will be one of the three best free agents available, alongside Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel. Given Kaprizov's star power, he is going to be an in-demand player in the open market. Losing Kaprizov would be a nightmare for Minnesota, but it would be even worse if he ended up with one of their division rivals.
So, if he does make it to free agency (or get traded) which Central Division rivals have the cap space to make a run at Kaprizov next summer?
Central Division rivals who could sign Kirill Kaprizov away from Wild
Chicago Blackhawks
The biggest threat to the Wild may very well be the Chicago Blackhawks. Yes, the Blackhawks seem to be stuck in a never-ending rebuild, a far cry from their Stanley Cup dynasty days in the 2010s.
The Blackhawks have their star in Connor Bedard, who is still due for a new contract extension, and he should cash-in relatively easily. But it's time that the Blackhawks begin to put legitimate difference makers around him. Kaprizov fits the bill.
As of this writing, the Blackhawks have $63.2 million in cap space heading into the 2026-27 season, per Spotrac. That's more than enough for the Blackhawks to, say, re-sign Bedard on a contract extension and sign Kaprizov as a free agent. If that were to happen, Chicago's rebuild could finally be over, much to Minnesota's dismay.
Winnipeg Jets
Talk about a nightmare for the Wild. The Winnipeg Jets, who won the Central Division last year, along with the President's Trophy, signing away the Wild's biggest star.
The Jets made a run to the second round of the playoffs last year, where they were eliminated by the Dallas Stars last year. This offseason, they lost NIkolaj Ehlers to free agency, who was their third-highest scoring player on the roster (63 points). But next summer, the Jets do have to re-sign their top scorer in Kyle Connor, who scored 93 points last season.
Given that, the Jets will have the money to make a run at Kaprizov if they so choose. But it may be best in the Jets' interests in keeping Connor. The Jets have $42.1 million in cap space next summer.
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators are no strangers to spending sprees. Just last year, the team signed Steven Stamkos, Brady Skjei, and Jonathan Marchessault. This was supposed to be the offseason that brought the Predators back into Cup contention. Instead, Nashville drastically underperformed, finishing with a 30-44-8 record, giving them the second-worst record in the Central Division.
Predators general manager Barry Trotz hasn't done enough to show that he is trustworthy of spending a ton of cap space. But if the Predators are serious about making a leap again and finally winning their first Stanley Cup, next summer might be their best chance. As of this writing, the Predators have $40.2 million in cap space next summer.
Utah Mammoth
Yes, the Utah Mammoth. The former Phoenix Coyotes are looking to make it into the playoffs, and they have been an incredibly aggressive team since Ryan Smith bought the team and relocated to Utah.
This summer, the Mammoth pulled off a huge trade to acquire J.J. Peterka from the Buffalo Sabres and signed him to a five-year, $38.5 million contract extension. Now, Peterka is set to be one of their Top 6 forwards, along with Logan Cooley and Clayton Keller.
The thing is, the Mammoth still have plenty of money to spend next summer. As of this writing, they'll have $38.7 million in space to work with.