Bill Guerin Won’t Rule Out a Kirill Kaprizov Debut This Season

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Before COVID-19 shut down the NHL and all major sports around the country, the Minnesota Wild looked to be figuring “it” out at the right time. Kevin Fiala was starting to prove his place as a legitimate top player in the league, tallying 14 points in the final eight games of the season.

Alex Stalock showed he was worthy of holding down the fort, if the Wild were to make a deep playoff run. Marcus Foligno displayed his ability to go out and be more than a bruiser. Even old man Mikko Koivu was starting to look ready for the final push, if this is indeed his Last Dance. 

One of the few positives for the NHL, when everything got postponed until further notice, was the opportunity of Kirill Kaprizov joining the Wild when the season resumes. When the KHL season ended and Kaprizov’s contract expired, the Wild immediately began working on his two-year NHL entry contract, which would finally bring the Russian phenom to Minnesota.

According to Michael Russo of The Athletic, we probably won’t be seeing him if the NHL season does indeed resume this summer. General Manager, Bill Guerin remains optimistic however…

“To be honest, I don’t know. It doesn’t really look like [he’d be eligible to play this season],” Guerin said. “But I don’t want to put words in anybody’s mouth or make a call that hasn’t been finalized. We’re just taking it day-by-day with him and wait.”

Bill Guerin – NHL.com

What Kaprizov would bring to the Wild

If the Wild were to add Kaprizov, his impact would be felt immediately. My question to the NHL is, why won’t you allow a team to burn a year of a players’ contract if the team is willing to do so? Obviously, the league must take extra precaution in regards to player safety and such, but players on every team went home. What difference does it make if Kevin Fiala comes back from Sweden or Kaprizov comes over from Russia? Bill Guerin said that, until the NHL says there is zero chance of him coming, they will continue to work with Kaprizov. 

To say that Wild fans are impatiently awaiting the Russian superstar’s debut, would be an understatement. I get blue balls every time I watch his highlights. A Kaprizov/Fiala line would be a force to be reckoned with. Split them up & the Wild have a very solid top two lines.

Next year, he will be 24 years old and the same goes for Kevin Fiala. The Minnesota Wild have a bright future with those two leading the way. Lets just hope the organization sticks with Bill Guerin and then let the cards fall where they may. The State of Hockey has their sights set on the Cup and Kirill Kaprizov will play a large part in bringing Lord Stanley to Minnesota.

Brett Czajkowski | Minnesota Sports Fan

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