Mark Lazerus, a prominent contributor to The Athletic recently hinted that Kirill Kaprizov of the Minnesota Wild could be eyeing a move to the Chicago Blackhawks. Suggesting that Kaprizov could choose to join the Blackhawks in 2026 when his contract expires in Minnesota, he said a lot could change before then but that the rumor on the draft floor back in June was that Kaprizov wanted to be in Chicago.
Since that podcast was released, Lazerus posted on social media trying to clarify his statement. In a tweet on Wednesday, he wrote:
Let me clarify, please: I reported back in June that the Blackhawks see Kaprizov as a potential big add in two years, this generation’s Marian Hossa, so to speak. Is Kaprizov intrigued by the possibility? Sure. Does he “want” it now? No. I misspoke extemporaneously on the pod.
Fans of the Wild jumped all over the B/R Open Ice post that cited Lazerus’ comments. Some read, “Kirill is not going to that dumpster fire.”, while another noted, “This would put me in a coma if this happened.”
The theory was that Kaprizov might want to join Connor Bedard in Chicago as the Blackhawks grow into a more competitive and talented team. All the while, the Wild are in cap purgatory because of dead cap space on their books and it’s hard to know if or when they’ll be contenders again. Minnesota has some talented pieces, but Kaprizov is tops among them. If he were to leave, that would be a massive loss.
The Blackhawks Eyeing Kaprizov, Winger Not Trying to Leave Wild
One of the most important takeaways from the clarification tweets is that Lazerus wasn’t suggesting there’s a trade in the works or that Kaprizov has told the Wild he’s looking to be moved. But, he does acknowledge that the Blackhawks might have interest in the player and things could get very interesting in a couple of seasons.
Lazerus added more to his tweet, noting, “Kaprizov has two years left on his contract. This decision is forever away. Nothing is imminent, nothing is set in stone, Kaprizov is not asking out, nothing like that. Stand down. I didn’t intend to imply otherwise.” He finished with, “In short: The Blackhawks have their eye on Kaprizov in two years, not the other way around.”
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