Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin said there's no legitimacy to Wednesday's report that Kirill Kaprizov rejected an eight-year extension worth a record $128 million from the club.
"I don't know where this stuff comes from," Guerin said on the "10,000 Takes" podcast. "I know two things: that info didn't come from us, and it didn't come from Kirill's agent. I don't know where it came from."
Kaprizov can become an unrestricted free agent after this season and has been eligible to sign an extension since July 1.
Guerin added he remains confident that the organization will secure a deal with Kaprizov.
"Kirill and the organization, his agent and I, we have a very good relationship," Guerin said. "We're not gonna let things like this get in the way. I still think we're in a really positive place with Kirill. Part of my role is to protect him, so we're gonna let this go and we just move on."
Kaprizov was in the Hart Trophy conversation last season before a lower-body injury derailed his campaign. Despite playing in just 41 games, he ended the year with 56 points. He set single-season franchise records in goals (47), assists (61), and points (108) in 2021-22.
The 28-year-old winger is Minnesota's highest-paid player with a $9-million average annual value.
The Wild have $64.6 million on the books for next season, leaving ample room to sign Kaprizov to a lucrative deal with the salary cap projected to rise to $104 million in 2026-27.
