NHL News: After signing $136M contract, Kirill Kaprizov will miss key Wild teammate in crucial stretch of the season

Kirill Kaprizov and the Minnesota Wild finally reached an earth-shaking deal. On what should have been a historic day of celebration in the NHL, the Wild also had to deliver bad news: a key player on the roster will be out for some time with an injury.

Mats Zuccarello has become a core member of the Wild ever since arriving in the summer of 2019. Entering as an unrestricted free agent, the veteran has played a key role in Minnesota’s rise in the NHL. However, Kaprizov and company will have to do without him as the 2025-26 season gets underway.

“Mats Zuccarello is expected to miss a minimum of seven to eight weeks with a lower-body injury,” the Wild announced through its PR account on X.

Accolade is put on hold

Zuccarello has been on an incredible journey since entering the NHL. The Norwegian winger came in under the radar, however. Instead, he signed as an undrafted free agent (UDFA), making his league debut in 2010 with the New York Rangers.

Mats Zuccarello #36 of the Minnesota Wild

Since, he’s played 904 games, recording 217 goals, 473 assists, and 690 points. Due to the lower-body injury, his chase for the 700-point mark will be left in standby until he returns to the ice. Once he does, it shouldn’t be long before the typical second-liner in St. Paul secures the milestone.

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Focus

Meanwhile, Kaprizov and company will have to hold their ground and keep the Wild in the race for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The goal is clear: Minnesota must snap its ten-year hex of first-round exits. Winning the Stanley Cup for the first time is another pending task, but the Wild are taking it one step at a time.

The last time the Wild won four games in the postseason, Zuccarello was still in the Big Apple, and Kaprizov was an 18-year-old on the verge of being drafted by Minnesota.

Back then, the Russian forward must have never thought that one day he’d sign an eight-year deal with a $17M AAV to become the highest-paid player in NHL history. Needless to say, it’s time for Kaprizov and the Wild to put the puck where the money is.