Speculation: Russo on the status of Kaprizov’s contract negotiations

[kp61c]

You've shown time and time again that that is non existent when you post. Please provide a source of some kind.

Russo has reported that short term counter offers have had "ridiculous" AAV attached to them.

I'm a little wary of trusting him, but if it's true i will be the first to say that Kaprizov demands are irratonal and unacceptable.

 

[Sota Popinski]

It's not a loaded question - I would argue that by not offering a 3 year deal the Wild are not well within their rights, because they only have team control during that time. By only offering a 5 year or longer deal you are trying to force him to sign for longer than necessary. I think the compensation should match the contract length absolutely, but I don't feel that the Wild have the right to limit his contract offer to the term they find the most beneficial. That would be ideal, but it should not be their right to only negotiate beyond his RFA years, that's why these rules exist.

Cool. I'm sure Kaprizov is willing to sign a 1 year $5M prove it contract and then get his RFA rights next summer. Oh wait, he wants a 3 year x 10M contract.

 

[Sota Popinski]

My gosh give it up. It's how in works in sports. You don't like it, take it up with owners. Kaprizov isn't entitled to anything and team isn't. You are so blind to that

Its not even the owners it's the rank and file members of the players association. The veteran players have decided these were the trade offs they were willing to make. Kaprizov is essentially acting like the rules don't apply to him.

 

[Digitalbooya]

I'm a little wary of trusting him, but if it's true i will be the first to say that Kaprizov demands are irratonal and unacceptable.

I think those reports have to be true because Kaprizov's camp would gain a lot of outside support and PR if they were to refute them. Instead, they've gone silent.

 

[Dickie Dunn]

Just because the Wild has stated their intention to want as many years as possible doesn’t make that a good faith negotiation. Actually that is far closer to bad faith nearing the exact definition. Kaprizov is entitled to have a RFA contract offered to him and I bet that he has been offered one. Probably a crappy one but offered.

I mean, this isn't very ambiguous but go ahead TS Quint, tell me I'm lying again.

 

[Sota Popinski]

They are well within their rights to offer anything from 1-8 years, but once it has been identified that the player wants short term (3 years or less) the team needs to respect that they don't own the player and he wants to have some career control. I would rather have 3 years to negotiate an extension or a trade to maximize assets than let an asset sit or go to another league as so many people have suggested on this forum.

*player threatens to play in KHL* - "well, that's his right. It's probably just a negotiating tactic"
*team tells player if he doesn't like their contract offer he can play in the KHL* - "totally unfair. they need to respect that they don't own the player"

 

[Kshahdoo]

Cool. I'm sure Kaprizov is willing to sign a 1 year $5M prove it contract and then get his RFA rights next summer. Oh wait, he wants a 3 year x 10M contract.

I'm pretty sure, if it was 1 year/$5 million offer, he would have already signed it.

 

[AKL]

I'm pretty sure, if it was 1 year/$5 million offer, he would have already signed it.

I'm pretty sure he wouldn't. So where does that leave us?

 

[ItWasJustified]

KK could still play this year in the KHL thoug

As I wrote, Why would he go to the KHL if he gets paid at least $8 million less, if money is his issue with Wild?

 

[Boondock]

But why should the Wild do all the bending? Is their leverage and interests of no concern?

The Wild won't be doing all the bending, quite clearly KK won't be receiving $9.5 x 3yrs so his concession is in wages over the next 3 seasons. Point and Barzal both signed 3 year bridge deals in the $6.5-$7 range, so there is precedent for high end offensive players going into their second contracts. Seeing as the Wild offered $9+ long term it would be fair to say going for the short term deal with a lower AAV is a compromise so that he can get to free agency sooner.

 

[Boondock]

Kaprizov has had two opportunities in the last year or so to claim the arbitration rights that would solve these hypothetical problems for him.

1 - When he signed his ELC and elected to burn the 1st year. If he had signed for 2 years he'd have his arbitration rights when that contract would have expired next summer

2 - When he passed on this QO, which would have effectively been a redo of #1.

So that's twice that he's had a choice between pushing his way to UFA ASAP and not selling off more UFA years than necessary, or getting a raise this summer instead of next summer. In both cases he's chosen the latter.

Like at some point this all just seems like Kaprizov trying to make up for "lost wages" from staying in the KHL for so long, which again was his choice. Why the team is suddenly obligated to help him out with that is a question that no one's stepped up to answer yet.

Neither of your numbered points change the fact that he is only obligated to be under team control for 7 years after he's drafted. How he chose to utilize those years doesn't change the time he is under control. It reduces his negotiating options (1 year longer to be arb eligible) but this still doesn't change the fact that he wants to be a free agent as soon as possible. Secondly if this was just about money, he wouldn't be fighting about term, he would be fighting about AAV and by all accounts this is not the issue.

 

[Boondock]

So the Wild are supposed to RESPECT KK wishes for a 3 yr contract at the AAV KK wants but in no way does KK and his agent have to respect the Wild's desire for a contract longer than 3 yrs (buying a couple of his UFA years)? You folks are hilarious on how 1-sided the negotiations are for how the Wild are supposed to bend over backwards and just give whatever KK wants. That's not how negotiations work...sorry about that!

Show me any of my 8 posts where I said KK should get the term he wants and AAV he wants. If you can show me that then continue otherwise don't misquote me and don't misrepresent me.

 

[Hanji]

As I wrote, Why would he go to the KHL if he gets paid at least $8 million less, if money is his issue with Wild?

Why are we assuming money is at the heart of the issue? Perhaps it's a secondary consideration.
If it was about money, he probably wouldve taken the initial 8 year offer; which was very generous.

Perhaps Kirill's #1 objective is to win the Cup. But that isn't gonna happen in Minnesota for the foreseeable future. And he's stuck with Guerin offering only (4+ years).

So considering he's forced into a longer term contract with a mediocre team, maybe he's decided to make the most of a bad situation and take Minny to the cleaners. $$$

 

[Dickie Dunn]

The Wild won't be doing all the bending, quite clearly KK won't be receiving $9.5 x 3yrs so his concession is in wages over the next 3 seasons. Point and Barzal both signed 3 year bridge deals in the $6.5-$7 range, so there is precedent for high end offensive players going into their second contracts. Seeing as the Wild offered $9+ long term it would be fair to say going for the short term deal with a lower AAV is a compromise so that he can get to free agency sooner.

This isn’t accurate to the current (reported) status or it would likely be done.

 

[ToDavid]

I'm a little wary of trusting him, but if it's true i will be the first to say that Kaprizov demands are irratonal and unacceptable.

My problem with this is that what does "ridiculous" really mean. If Russo had numbers he would report numbers. So that means he's hearing "ridiculous" from someone, obviously from the team's side of the negotiating table. So I don't think it's a matter of trusting or not trusting Russo, but understanding that there's likely some bias in the information he's getting.

This isn't at all an insult to Russo, who is fantastic, but IMO anytime an insider reports adjectives like that instead hard contract terms, being wary is a good thing.

 

[Boondock]

The team doesn’t have to respect anything. That’s just silly. 3 years is almost the worst case scenario for the Wild since they can’t really take part in the bidding war with that 15 million in dead cap that doesn’t expire until a year later.

Bridge deal that takes him straight to UFA for trade purposes feels suspect as well as it limits trading partners somewhat.

I understand this, but the Wild made choices that are coming back to roost. KK is under Minnesota control for 3 more seasons. Cap issues that were created by others isn't a KK problem. It might be a Wild trying to get KK under contract problem, but it isn't KK's responsibility to sign to a term that helps the Wild navigate their cap issues.

 

[Boondock]

This isn’t accurate to the current (reported) status or it would likely be done.

neither you or I have any idea where the current negotiations are. you don't know what's accurate any more than anyone else

 

[grimmel95]

Show me any of my 8 posts where I said KK should get the term he wants and AAV he wants. If you can show me that then continue otherwise don't misquote me and don't misrepresent me.

In this post you Russo on the status of Kaprizov’s contract negotiations stated that once its been identified that the player wants a short term contract (3 years or less) then the Wild needs to respect that. That's BS and you know it. The Wild don't have to respect KK desire anymore than KK needs to respect the Wild's desire for a 5+ yr contract term.

 

[Boondock]

Cool. I'm sure Kaprizov is willing to sign a 1 year $5M prove it contract and then get his RFA rights next summer. Oh wait, he wants a 3 year x 10M contract.

Proof? or just helps make a point regardless of factuality.

 

[Boondock]

In this post you Russo on the status of Kaprizov’s contract negotiations stated that once its been identified that the player wants a short term contract (3 years or less) then the Wild needs to respect that. That's BS and you know it. The Wild don't have to respect KK desire anymore than KK needs to respect the Wild's desire for a 5+ yr contract term.

This isn't what I asked you point out, I said show me where I said KK should get his term and AAV - you and I both know you can't. Nice try with the non-response to my reply.

 

[AKL]

I understand this, but the Wild made choices that are coming back to roost. KK is under Minnesota control for 3 more seasons. Cap issues that were created by others isn't a KK problem. It might be a Wild trying to get KK under contract problem, but it isn't KK's responsibility to sign to a term that helps the Wild navigate their cap issues.

I'm a little confused because Kaprizov has also made choices that are coming back to roost. At best, you fail to recognize that the position Kaprizov is in is his own fault, and the Wild have no obligation to help him out, at worst you think it's the Wild's responsibility to forego all the leverage they have and give it back to Kaprizov who hasn't earned any leverage at this point.

There is no rule about what what the Wild can or can't offer him for a contract. There is no rule that says they have to offer him a three year contract because that's when his RFA status expires, you just think there should be, and that's different.

 

[Boondock]

In this post you Russo on the status of Kaprizov’s contract negotiations stated that once its been identified that the player wants a short term contract (3 years or less) then the Wild needs to respect that. That's BS and you know it. The Wild don't have to respect KK desire anymore than KK needs to respect the Wild's desire for a 5+ yr contract term.

KK has every right to ask for a 1,2 or 3 year deal because that's the time frame where he is under team control as per the CBA. By year 4 and going forward neither KK or the Wild have any "rights" over the other.

 

[AKL]

KK has every right to ask for a 1,2 or 3 year deal because that's the time frame where he is under team control as per the CBA. By year 4 and going forward neither KK or the Wild have any "rights" over the other.

The only "rights" that matter are what a team or player currently has. At current, Kaprizov has very limited rights due to his own actions. His options are/were to sign his QO, sign a contract he and the Wild both agree upon, or go back to Russia until he either can agree with the Wild, or until his last three RFA years are over.

The Wild are fully within their rights to only offer 4+ year contracts. If Kaprizov doesn't want to sign that, he is fully within his rights to either accept the QO (too late for this season) or go back to Russia for another year or three. Those are his rights.

But if he wants to play in the NHL this season and the two after, he's going to have to come to terms with the Wild. Those are the rules of the league. You may not think they're fair, you may not think the Wild should be able to do that, but it doesn't matter what you think.

 

[Dickie Dunn]

neither you or I have any idea where the current negotiations are. you don't know what's accurate any more than anyone else

The Wild beat writer indicated that Kaprizov was asking for an 8 figure salary on a 3 year deal. If you don’t believe that, ok. But the best evidence we have is that he is not yet signed.

 

[Boondock]

I'm a little confused because Kaprizov has also made choices that are coming back to roost. At best, you fail to recognize that the position Kaprizov is in is his own fault, and the Wild have no obligation to help him out, at worst you think it's the Wild's responsibility to forego all the leverage they have and give it back to Kaprizov who hasn't earned any leverage at this point.

There is no rule about what what the Wild can or can't offer him for a contract. There is no rule that says they have to offer him a three year contract because that's when his RFA status expires, you just think there should be, and that's different.

Bolded not true at all. Wild can offer him anything 1-8 years. There is only mechanisms in place until a player reaches UFA status - in KK's case 3 more years. The Wild can play hard ball and not offer any more than the minimum QO and if KK doesn't take it he won't play in the NHL. I don't see that as being the most beneficial to the Wild. I would have started the negotiations at 5+ years, but if the reports are true and KK only wants a shorter term deal then the focus need to be adjusted to signing a deal that buys the Wild time to convince KK to re-sign or sign him and look to move him for assets. Maybe not a favorite opinion but letting KK go back to Russia seems like very poor asset management.