The ongoing contract situation between Kirill Kaprizov and the Minnesota Wild have taken an interesting twist.
Yesterday, the internet was abuzz with a report that the Wild had seemingly given up and asked Kaprizov to submit a trade list. The purpose of this list was to know which teams the Russian star would be willing to accept a trade to.
Per journalist Alexei Shevchenko, the #mnwild have asked Kirill Kaprizov for his trade list.
— Daria Tuboltseva (@DariaTuboltseva) September 11, 2025
The news sent shockwaves around the league, as Wild fans were devastated. Meanwhile, other teams’ fans began plotting how to land one of the biggest impending UFAs in league history.
But now, hold the phone!
New details have emerged regarding the supposed trade list request. According to Marco D’Amico of RG Media on September 12, the Wild have not asked Kaprizov’s camp to submit a list of teams. A source close to the team shut down such rumors, stating the following:
“The Wild have not and will not be asking Kaprizov for a trade list.”
That’s fantastic news for Wild fans. But it doesn’t bring the saga any closer to an end. Per the source, there’s a crucial holdup that promises to leave both Kaprizov and Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid skating on molasses.
Kaprizov, Wild holding their breath until McDavid signs
Anonymous league sources told RG that the holdup between Kaprizov and the Wild is Connor McDavid’s new contract. Virtually every impending UFA is in a holding pattern, waiting for the Oilers star to sign his next deal.
One anonymous source stated:
“He’s going to wait until McDavid signs his deal and then make his decision. The Wild’s owner put himself in a tough spot by saying he’d make Kaprizov the highest-paid player. Now his hands are tied.”
So, Wild owner Craig Leipold offered to make Kaprizov the league’s highest-paid player. But that can’t happen if McDavid tops Kaprizov. Meanwhile, McDavid could be waiting for Kaprizov to sign in order to set the floor for his next contract.
The biggest sticking point, as the sources noted, is that Kaprizov and McDavid want to nab the maximum 20% salary cap allotment per the current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). The CBA-imposed limit could ultimately be watered down as the salary cap ceiling is believed to almost increase twofold in the next decade.
If that’s the case, a $19 million cap hit today, which would be 20% of the cap, would turn into about 12% when the cap hits $150 million. At best, fans can only hope that the 28-year-old Kaprizov signs a short-term deal and then renegotiates in four or five years’ time when the cap limit has significantly spiked.
In the meantime, the impasse will continue until either Kaprizov or McDavid blinks.