Kirill Kaprizov is one of the best Russian players in the NHL right now. Therefore, it is not surprising that from time to time he gets into different ratings, which North American journalists are very fond of creating. So, recently, The Athletic reviewers compiled a list of the top 10 league contracts, which included Kaprizov.

It is much easier to rank the worst agreements, because it turns out to be objective. This list includes players with fat contracts who have not justified the hopes of fans and managers. But a similar list with a plus sign was compiled for the future. The Athletic reviewers have added players who are able to consistently show a high level throughout the agreement.

And against this background, Kaprizov stands out, because he got into this conditional list in advance. The Russian has less experience and matches than all his neighbors in the rating.

Minnesota Manager Risk

Drafted in the sixth round, Kaprizov powerfully burst into the NHL – in his debut season he has 55 games and 51 (27 + 24) points, as well as won the Calder Trophy, which is awarded to the league’s best rookie. The Russian’s strong start impressed Minnesota’s general manager Bill Guerin so much that he gave the forward a superstar contract during the offseason, a five-year, $45 million deal.

So, Guerin managed to keep a promising player and earn the love of the fans, who saw in Kaprizov the new face of the franchise. However, there were skeptics who considered the big contract a premature decision. The Russian has played only 55 games in the NHL, which is not enough to get such a generous deal.

And at the beginning of last season, there were many times more such people. The start of the regular season at Kaprizov turned out to be crumpled – in the first eight meetings, he scored only six assists. Then there was talk that Guerin hastened to sign the Russian for a long time.

Kirill Kaprizov / Photo: © REUTERS / Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

However, the striker quickly found his game and began to terrify NHL goalies. And already in the second season, Kaprizov conquered the milestone of 100 points – in 81 matches he had 108 (47 + 61) effective actions. More importantly, the Russian proved his worth in the playoffs. In six games on the run, he shot seven goals and scored an assist.

Rapid progress Kaprizov

And if with his game Kaprizov silenced all the skeptics, then the question arose: can a Russian be considered a superstar? The striker has only one full season and 136 games in the NHL, which, on the one hand, is quite small to draw any conclusions. Nevertheless, Kirill showed that he was able to help the team in the most crucial moments – he scored in overtime and in the playoffs.

The list of the best contracts from The Athletic, which included: Cale Makar, Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, Adam Fox and others, answered this question: Kaprizov is officially a league superstar.

– A year ago, many called Kaprizov’s contract overpriced, but he fully works out every cent, and even more. Kirill’s surplus value for the remaining years is $16.5 million. “His $9 million is practically nothing. You can count on Kaprizov as a player who will consistently score 40 goals and score 90 or more points per season. This is a rare find. It’s worth closer to $13 million on ice and was lucky to get it for less than $10 million.

Photo: © REUTERS / Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

At the same time, the Russian has fewer games than all his star neighbors in this rating. All these players have already successfully completed part of the contract. Kaprizov, on the other hand, spent only a year under the new agreement and has four more seasons ahead of him, so his entry into the rating looks like an advance for the future. At the same time, the Russian is already considered a stable forward, which gives no reason to doubt that Kirill will spend the next seasons at a high level.

So Kaprizov from the last place in the ranking next year can rapidly soar several points up.

What can get in the way?

And if we take Kaprizov’s stable game as a given, then the Russian’s departure from this rating may be affected by reasons not related to sports form. For the most part, the general manager of Minnesota was the reason why the striker’s contract made it to The Athletic. However, because of Guerin, the striker may leave the prestigious list.

The manager of the “savages” has a difficult task: not to turn into a Calgary in a short time, from which the stars are fleeing. To do this, the “savages” need to prove that they have everything to win the Stanley Cup. Kaprizov will not want to play in a team that has no claims to the league’s main trophy.

The Russian won the Calder Trophy and knocked out 100 points on the line without a star center forward. This proves that Kirill alone can churn out goals and assists, but sooner or later such an alignment may bother the Russian. “Minnesota” in the near future it is necessary to reach at least the finals of the conference, so that the striker wants to stay in the team for a long time.

The Savages have one of the best pools of prospects in the NHL right now, and that could help keep Kaprizov in the roster. But if the club has a regression in the results, then the Russian will most likely stop wearing the Minnesota jersey.