As NHL trade rumors reported a few weeks back, Kirill Kaprizov does not have arbitration rights and isn’t eligible to receive an offer sheet from a rival NHL club.
Sean O’Leary of The Score is reporting, CSKA Moscow of the KHL has announced Kaprizov will not join the club this season. Any contract negotiation leverage for salary Kaprizov had is now out the door.
O’Leary went on to say, a new deal with the Minnesota Wild isn’t imminent, but conversations between the team and Kaprizov’s representatives have picked up recently.
Kaprizov, 24, is Minnesota’s sole unsigned restricted free agent. The Wild currently have approximately $13 million in cap space.
It was rumored GM Bill Guerin could trade Kaprizov but that is very unlikely. Kaprizov’s agent was seeking a $8 million/year contract but with the KHL ploy now debunked, a bridge deal is more likely around the $6 million/year mark.
