MN Wild Hold Kirill Kaprizov Out of Practice with New Ailment

The Minnesota Wild will start their 2025-26 NHL season in just 12 days, meaning we are already less than two weeks away from regular season games. More than likely, Kirill Kaprizov will be in a Wild sweater on October 9 in St. Louis.

Unfortunately, he likely won’t be available during Sunday’s preseason game against the Chicago Blackhawks. Kaprizov’s ice time has been limited throughout the exhibition season, but his absence at Saturday’s practice was due to a newly discovered ailment.

Kirill Kaprizov held out of MN Wild practice with eye infection

According to head coach John Hynes, Kirill Kaprizov will be sitting out for the foreseeable future with an eye infection. He’s being treated with antibiotics and the hope is that the 28-year-old superstar will be back in the lineup sooner than later.

Kaprizov is an eye infection. On antibiotics. Hynes hoping he’ll be back quick

— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) September 27, 2025

Thankfully, Kaprizov’s latest malady should be short-lived. Obviously, the bigger concern in St. Paul is whether or not Kirill and his agent will return to the contract negotiating table before the start of the regular season, after they rejected Minnesota’s record-breaking 6-year, $128 million deal.

The superstar has one year remaining on his current contract and there is concern that any type of injury would make him untradeable during the season, just months before he could walk to free agency for nothing.

Kirill Kaprizov enters the 2025-26 NHL season 4th in Minnesota Wild franchise history with 185 goals, 11th in 201 assists and 5th with 386 points. If he plays a full season at the level he is capable of, it’s very possible the Russian forward takes over the goals crown, currently set by Marian Gaborik, at 219.