FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn. — Entering the offseason, there was one clear priority for the Minnesota Wild 's front office.

Yes, the team finally shed the salaries of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, and, yes, there were needs at multiple positions, including a top-end center, but the biggest matter involved a player already with the team: Kirill Kaprizov.

The Wild star's contract expires at the end of the 2025-26 season, so securing his future with the franchise was the most important task when Minnesota was eliminated in the first round of the postseason.

Despite no agreement in the summer, Wild general manager Bill Guerin says he's still "confident" an extension is on the horizon.

"I'm just a confident guy, I guess," Guerin recently told KARE 11's Will Hall. "Our talks have been productive al

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