Kaprizov, Not McDavid, Could Become NHL’s Next Salary-Cap Benchmark

As contract negotiations between Kirill Kaprizov and the Minnesota Wild continue, an interesting development is occurring.

One NHL insider hinted on Tuesday that it will be Kaprizov, and not Connor McDavid, that pushes the salary cap ceiling higher in the NHL this summer.

Kaprizov’s camp has already turned down the richest contract in NHL history. Seravalli questioned why in a recent segment for Bleacher Report. He then noted,  “Who’s going to be that guy that steps up to push the envelope and move it forward for NHL players? It’s probably not going to be Connor McDavid, so it could be someone like [Kaprizov].”

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The NHL’s rising salary cap is a leverage point for Kaprizov, who is also using comments from Wild owner Craig Leopold against the organization. Leopold was public in his saying that no team would or could pay Kaprizov more than the Wild. It appears the superstar is holding them to it.

Meanwhile, McDavid is taking his time with his extension, but no one believes this is about money for the captain of the Edmonton Oilers.

In fact, some believe McDavid will opt for a shorter-term deal, one that doesn’t set a new record for the total overall value of an extension. Meanwhile, Kaprizov is rumored to be open to an eight-year extension, but he wants better than a record-setting deal. He wants something that maintains strong value as the cap increases exponentially.

Insiders like Seravalli are suggesting Kaprizov could emerge as the next player to push the financial boundaries set by the league’s highest-paid players.

McDavid will remain the game’s top player, but in Minnesota, the Wild are about to pay for how valued Kaprizov is in that market. He is trying to negotiate terms that reflect his elite performance, the league’s financial growth, and what he’s worth in the Minnesota market. The standstill between the two sides is his trying to structure and maximize his value.

For McDavid, he’s looking at winning and what it’s going to take for the Oilers to be competitive. That means taking a little less.

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