ST PAUL, Minn. — With the most important signing of the offseason finally in the rearview mirror, the Minnesota Wild and star Kirill Kaprizov can finally shift their focus to hockey.

"Everyone talked about this ... but now it's all done and we just start playing and don't think about this," said Kaprizov, who, if he stays healthy, will likely surpass Marian Gáborík for most career goals in franchise history.

The process of making Kaprizov the highest-paid player in NHL history wasn't always a smooth one, as negotiations extended through the summer and into the early stages of camp, but when the puck drops on the 2025 season Thursday in St. Louis, Wild general manager Bill Guerin can find comfort in the fact that he will have his franchise player for at least another nine years.

"These

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