The ongoing saga involving the contract extensions of Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers and Kirill Kaprizov of the Minnesota Wild seem straight out of an Italian opera.
The two superstars have their fanbases collectively gasping for breath as their beloved players enter the final year of their respective contracts.
Speculation has run rampant online regarding potential trade destinations. The grinding rumor mill has linked McDavid to just about every contending team in the league. Meanwhile, Kaprizov’s saga topic an epic turn when a report surfaced suggesting that the Wild had asked the Russian star to submit a trade list.
Publicly, McDavid and Kaprizov, along with their respective clubs, have said all the right things. But now, anonymous sources have leaked the real reasons behind the delay in signing extensions. Kaprizov is waiting for McDavid to sign, and vice versa.
According to an anonymous source close to the Wild, Kaprizov is holding out for McDavid to set the bar with his next contract. As for McDavid, he’s waiting for Kaprizov to set the floor. Along with the pair, just about every impending UFA is holding out for McDavid to reset the market.
2026 UFAs include Jack Eichel, Artemi Panarin, and Sergei Bobrovsky, to name a few.
The report published by Marco D’Amico of RG Media on September 12 cited an anonymous source, stating:
“He’s (Kaprizov) 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.”
The comment, it seems, points toward Wild owner Craig Leipold jumping the gun. If he’s serious about Kaprizov becoming the highest-paid player, he’ll have to wait until McDavid signs.
McDavid, Kaprizov Expect Cap to Rise, Foregoing Long-Term Deals
The next hurdle the Oilers and Wild will need to contend with is the rising salary cap. According to D’Amico’s sources, league execs expect the cap ceiling to roughly double over the next decade or so.
That means that the current $95.5 million cap could balloon to $170 million in about 10 years. That scenario has made it unsavory for both McDavid and Kaprizov to sign long-term deals. The expectation, according to the sources in question, is that both the Oilers captain and the Wild winger are looking to get the max 20% cap allocation on their next deal.
However, the rising salary cap could dwarf their overall cap hit. As such, the two stars are more focused on a short-term deal, and then re-upping once the cap rises in about three or four seasons.
Wild not Trading Kaprizov, Oilers Likely Staying Put as Well
The final piece of D’Amico’s report lies in sources close to the Wild confirming that the supposed trade list request is false. The source told D’Amico:
“The Wild have not and will not be asking Kaprizov for a trade list.”
So, if the Wild are not moving Kaprizov, the same could be for McDavid and the Oilers. Given the cap hit both players are set to command, few clubs could afford them without shedding significant cap space.
It seems the likeliest outcome for the next few weeks could be a tense calm while all sides figure out the best path forward.
McDavid, Kaprizov Reasons for Extension Chaos Revealed: Rumor