Hey Wild fans,

I was trying to create a 2021/22 AC-GM for the Wild but had a hard time predicting what the titled players would get dollar/term wise. Admittedly, I am not a huge Wild fan so figured I would reach out to users who watch them more regularly.

What are your contract prediction this off-season for Kaprizov, Fiala and Eriksson Ek? Looking for term/AAV.

Thanks in advance for the feedback!

I'm sorry, I thought someone else would've responded by now. I didn't respond when I first saw this because the truth is I have no idea on how much any 3 of these players are going to get. Fiala and Ek are in a position to seriously fluctuate their worth based on this season's results. Kaprizov is in a tricky situation. I believe he's in the rare grouping of Free Agent where he can't sign an offer sheet with anyone. So that should affect his value, but from how much? I don't know.

Here's where I personally see it myself at this EXACT moment (could change week to week):

Ek: $4x4
Fiala: $5x5
Kap: ...actually I have no clue on value or terms. I want to say Charlie McAvoy as a comp but his 3 year deal ends in RFA status...anything Kap signs will be UFA ending. So I'm guessing long-term but I don't know any comps for this situation.

No worries at all, I really appreciate the response so thank you! I'm glad that I am not the only one who had a hard time predicting what their values would be haha. I agree with Fiala and Ek (maybe a touch more for Ek but who knows) and as for Kaprizov, same here. My best guess is that they go long term as well but like you said, there isn't really a comparable.

Kap is honestly a dart at the board for his contract. I would say something similar to Panairens deal as he was in the same RFA grouping I believe. But I can’t see the wild only signing him to a 2 year deal. I HOPE it is something like 6-8 years at around 6-8m. But honestly the comparables are very few. If he signs short term I think it would be about a 4.5 AAV. But again I can’t see GMBG doing that. Maybe a 4 year deal and GMBG lines it up to expire at the same time as Parise and Suter, but I honestly don’t know.

Agreed! If I HAD to guess, my prediction would be that he signs a 7x7 which seems like a win for both parties.

I've had the 3 of them as a combined $15m-$20m.

For Fiala, I could see getting a shorter term Granny type of deal that takes him to his UFA years: 3 x $6m. I think he's a guy that is going to bet on himself getting a bigger payday as a UFA.

For Kaprizov, I can't really say. The guy is outstanding and getting better as the season goes on. His payday just keeps getting high and higher.

For JEE I have him in the $5m-$6m range with term.

What's scary is that about $20 million is all we have to spend next year without a cap increase...between these contract negotiations and the expansion draft, we're in for a very interesting offseason

The $15m of the cap going to Parise and Spurgeon really hurts. The fact they both have NMCs makes it even worse.

Of course we disagree on Spurgeon, but I can't deny how much I agree with you on Parise. He just doesn't look the same anymore. Definitely not earning his cap hit. And of course that NMC will make him impossible to move.

Simply put, is Spurgeon a $7.5m player this year? Parise, sure isn't. Suter isn't either, but he's been better than the other two.

You're not the first person to say anything Kap signs takes him to being a UFA and I'm curious what I'm missing. He's 23, guessing he might be 24 when he signs his extension so wouldn't a 2 year deal take him to age 26 where he's still a RFA? Couldn't they sign him for 2 years at $4m or so and then give him a long-term deal at 26? I know the risk is he doesn't sign long-term at 26 and takes a 1 year qualifying offer that then walks him to being a UFA. Is that what you mean?

I didn't comment on that originally but I had the exact same thoughts as you! He wouldn't walk to UFA status unless there is something I'm missing?

Kaprizov could sign a 2 year bridge deal, but this offseason might be the best way to lock him up long-term for a reasonable contract.

Oh I get that, just trying to understand why people say anything he signs walks him to UFA status. A 1 or 2 year deal leaves him as a RFA. Whether they're a good idea is an entirely different conversation.

I guess I just assumed they were going to try to get him locked up long term. Since I doubted either party wants a bridge deal, I just assumed any contract would send him to UFA. But you're right, technically speaking they could do that.

Yeah, I'm sure Kaprizov wants the security in knowing he'll get paid and the team probably feels they can get a slightly better deal signing him now. Hopefully they get something both sides can be happy with worked out and we get to enjoy watching him play through his prime.