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Chicago Blackhawks expected free agent acquisition will reportedly earn more than Connor McDavid on a contract
Photo credit: NHL.com
A free agent expected to be targeted by the Chicago Blackhawks will reportedly earn more than Connor McDavid on his next contract.
The 2026 free agent class will be a stacked one, with Connor McDavid leading the charge.
However, another superstar will look for a new contract for the 2026-27 season: Kirill Kaprizov.
The young Russian star is in a position to be among the highest-paid players in the NHL.
The Wild owner opened up about his next contract in an interview with The Athletic.
Kaprizov Could Earn $16M A Year On His Next Contract
The insider Pierre LeBrun published an interview featuring the Wild owner Craig Leipold as we get closer to the start of the 2025-26 season, which is the last of Kaprizov's five-year, $9 million AAV deal.
Leipold opened up about Kaprizov's next contract and stated that it could be the biggest contract in the NHL, as he considers the forward the best player in the world.
In his own words:
"I just feel like we're not that far off. I kind of think we're there. I like to believe when Kirill comes over and gets a sense again for the excitement and the love of the city, I think we'll be moving forward in a good direction."
"This will be a huge deal - likely the biggest in the NHL ever. There's no better human being or better hockey player or better person than Kirill. I think it will be a good conversation that we'll have with him. I'm very anxious and looking forward to that conversation. I think we'll move quickly after that."
"This will be a huge deal - likely the biggest in the NHL ever. There's no better human being or better hockey player or better person than Kirill. I think it will be a good conversation that we'll have with him. I'm very anxious and looking forward to that conversation. I think we'll move quickly after that."
The $16M figure was even put on the table:
The Blackhawks have a lot of young talent on the team, but if a player like Kaprizov ends up available, they would be among the only teams with enough cap space to make it happen.
Analyst Eklund also believes Kaprizov heads to Chicago in 2026 free agency.
A $16M AAV contract would make him the highest paid player in the League, surpassing Leon Draisaitl's $14M AAV contract in Edmonton.
Previously on Chicago Hockey Insider
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 7 | 184 ANSWERS Chicago Blackhawks expected free agent acquisition will reportedly earn more than Connor McDavid on a contract Do you think Kirill Kaprizov will sign an extension with the Minnesota Wild during the season? | ||
| Yes | 120 | 65.2 % |
| No | 64 | 34.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
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