Kirill Kaprizov has made history as the highest-paid player in the National Hockey League (NHL), signing an eight-year contract worth $136 million with the Minnesota Wild. This landmark deal surpasses the previous record held by Alexander Ovechkin, who signed a 13-year, $124 million contract with the Washington Capitals in 2008.
The 28-year-old Kaprizov joined the NHL in 2020, following a successful tenure in the KHL. He is also renowned for scoring the “golden goal” for the Russian national team at the Olympic Games. In 2021, Kaprizov was recognized as the NHL`s best rookie of the season.
Pavel Lysenkov, a sports commentator for Match TV, offered his insights:
“One must remember that Alexander Ovechkin signed his contract in 2009 for 13 years. So, dividing $124 million by 13, his annual earnings certainly weren`t as high as Kaprizov`s, which now averages $17 million per year. However, considering inflation, the rise in NHL salaries, and the increasing salary cap, it all seems fair and logical. After Ovechkin, the maximum contract duration was reduced to eight years, and soon it will even be seven. Kaprizov, therefore, secured the maximum money for the maximum term, choosing to remain with Minnesota and build his career with the club that drafted him. He`s a guy from Kuzedeevo, from Kuzbass, who decided not to leave his comfort zone: he`s happy in Minnesota, and he chose not to change anything, simply taking the maximum money.”
“Are there current stars who are, so to speak, vying for his accolades within the country?”
“There are young players growing up with immense talent. Take Ivan Demidov in Montreal, for example: he has only played a handful of games in the NHL, but it`s already clear he has huge talent. There`s `Demidov-mania` in Montreal, just as there`s `Kaprizov-mania` in Minnesota, and `Ovechkin-mania` across America, or how Artemi Panarin is deeply loved in New York. Our guys are highly regarded, and they truly emerge one after another. So, Kirill Kaprizov is certainly the cover boy who did so much for the country when he scored the `golden goal` at the Olympics. I should remind you that he could have gone to the NHL three years earlier; they already believed, and rightly so, that he was ready for the NHL back then. But he stayed, went to the Olympics where the NHL didn`t release its players, scored the `golden goal` for his country, then came to the NHL and conquered it, becoming the most expensive player by total contract size and, effectively, by annual contract at this moment in league history. So, he succeeded both there and here – our sharp shooter was everywhere.”
Since 2020, Kaprizov has played 319 games for the Minnesota Wild, tallying 185 goals and 201 assists.
Rupert Blackwood 
Clement Ashworth