Kirill Kaprizov shines as a Hart Trophy contender in 2024-25 (Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images)
Heading into this season, Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin hoped for a much better start from his team, specifically from star winger Kirill Kaprizov and budding star winger Matt Boldy.
“Even though Kirill had almost 100 points and 46 goals, we want him to get off to a better start, and the same with Matt Boldy,” Guerin told RG in an exclusive interview in September.
Just over two months later, the Wild are coming out of the holiday break with a 22-10-4 record (48 points), three points behind the Central Division and league-leading Winnipeg Jets (25-10-1, 51 points).
“I feel really good about where the team is,” Guerin told RG recently in another exclusive interview. “We've played well all year. We've had a couple of off-nights where we just didn’t have it, but for the most part, we played well, and I think it's just a tribute to the new coach having a full training camp with the team and the team buying in and executing the plan. They're executing the game plan and deserve the credit, too. It's been to watch.”
The Hart of the Team
As for Kaprizov, not only did he answer Guerin’s call for a better start, but he is also playing at a Hart Trophy-level that the Wild didn’t expect him to be at just yet. Kaprizov entered the Holiday break tied for third (with Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov) in points with 50. He was also tied for second in goals (with Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander) with 23 lamplighters and had 27 helpers as well.
While Guerin, in an exclusive interview with RG, recently said that ‘there is not much to report’ on contract talks for Kaprizov, who will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2026, he had nothing but praise and awe of Kaprizov’s season thus far.
“He’s on another level honestly, we didn’t see that coming yet,” Guerin said of his star winger.
“We knew he was a superstar; we’ve known he can score; we've known he's got all the intangibles; the character and leadership and all that stuff we've known that. But he's taking it all to a new level this year, and it's pretty awesome to watch.”
Guerin acknowledged when he told RG in September that he was hoping for a better start from Kaprizov, as injuries hampered the Russian winger’s start to the 2023-24 season. Fortunately, Kaprizov has been relatively healthy and hasn’t gone more than two games without a point.
“You know, to be honest with you, I think he's healthier than ever,” Guerin pointed out before Kaprizov missed Friday's game against the Dallas Stars due to a lower body injury. “I think at the beginning of last year he wasn't 100% and had that hamstring injury that was nagging him, but I haven't seen that this season. It's almost like he has a new level of determination as well. I’m just so impressed with his game and everything about him right now.”
The Rise of Matt Boldy
While Kaprizov has hit a new level in his game, the likes of Marco Rossi and Matt Boldy have also risen up the ranks to form one of the league’s most dangerous lines with Kirill “The Thrill”.
While Boldy hasn’t turned in a Hart Trophy campaign so far, the 23-year-old winger, who is in the first year of a seven-year, $49 million ($7M AAV) contract, has been clutch for the Wild, with six game-winning goals and stepped up his overall game. The 12th overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft pick has 13 goals and 18 assists in 36 games.
Guerin, who has watched Boldy grow since his days in the NCAA, has been thoroughly impressed with his development.
With Boldy’s contract already looking like a steal, it gives Guerin more flexibility with the rising salary cap to lock down Rossi and Kaprizov to their respective new deals moving forward; as both are pending free agents in the next 18 months.
James Murphy
