Overview

• Kirill Kaprizov signed an eight-year, $136 million extension with a $17 million AAV, the highest total-value contract in NHL history.
• Minnesota agreed to a five-year, $34 million extension with starting goalie Filip Gustavsson that begins in 2026–27, further stabilizing the team’s core.
• Executives and agents are recalibrating winger valuations, with Adrian Kempe’s ask trending around $11 million annually and Kyle Connor projected in the $12–13 million range, according to industry reporting.
• Jack Eichel’s next deal is widely viewed near $14 million per year in Vegas, with his center status and Nevada’s tax context making Kaprizov’s winger benchmark less directly comparable.
• Insider reporting suggests the Wild could explore adding another elite winger such as pending UFA Artemi Panarin as they build around Kaprizov, while Gustavsson anchors the net with Jesper Wallstedt projected as his partner.