Kirill Kaprizov didn’t exactly hide what he spent the summer doing. From workouts that kept popping up online to time training with Russian hockey legend Evgeni Malkin, the Wild star made it clear he was gearing up for something bigger.
That prep is showing up immediately. Kaprizov has been the centerpiece of Minnesota’s 4-2-1 start, piling up eight goals and 11 points through seven games.
No Wild player is driving the offense like he is right now, and he already has more goals through seven games than he had in any other stretch to open a season. He has also topped his previous best October output, which came last year when he scored seven goals in 12 games.
The shooting numbers are a little more complicated, but they still point to a player who is forcing the issue. Kaprizov had just 20 shots on goal through those seven games, a 2.86 per-game average that is his lowest since his rookie year.
But that number doesn’t tell the whole story. He has put 38 unblocked shot attempts on net, which is the better sign of how often he’s looking to attack.
That aggression matches the underlying numbers, too. Kaprizov entered Tuesday leading the NHL in expected goals at 6.66, and he added 0.56 on Tuesday. Brandon Hagel sat second at 4.70, which shows just how far Kaprizov has separated himself from the rest of the pack.
What makes this start even more dangerous for the rest of the league is where he’s doing it. John Hynes has been reluctant to keep Kaprizov on a permanent line with Matt Boldy and Joel Eriksson Ek, but that trio has been cooking together. Before Tuesday’s action, that forward group ranked 10th among 62 forward lines that had played at least 30 minutes at 5-on-5, controlling 71.2% of expected goals.
And there’s a bigger sample suggesting this combination might be the sweet spot for Kaprizov. In 46 games in his career where he has played nine or more 5-on-5 minutes with Boldy and Eriksson Ek, he has produced 33 goals and 64 points. Stretch that over an 84-game season, and the pace looks outrageous: 60 goals and 117 points.
That’s the story here. Kaprizov came into the season with a visible chip on his shoulder, and he’s backing it up from the opening week. If Hynes keeps leaning into the Boldy-Eriksson Ek fit, Minnesota may have found the setup that lets Kaprizov do exactly what he does best.
In Other News...
Wild Injury Problems Just Reached Jared Spurgeon
The injury list around the Wild has been piling up early enough that every new absence feels less like bad luck and more like part of the nightly routine. Brock Fabers fractured skull already put a major dent in the blue line, and injuries have also touched Filip Gustavsson, Nick Foligno and Marcus Foligno, leaving Minnesota to juggle its roster while trying to stay afloat through the opening stretch.
Now the burden has reached captain Jared Spurgeon, who was unavailable for the next game after getting hurt in the previous matchup. With Nico Sturm also leaving that game after taking a shot to the head, the Wild had to rework things again for their meeting with the Winnipeg Jets, a reminder that the team is spending as much energy adjusting its lineup as it is trying to build any kind of early-season rhythm. [Read more 🡒]
Wild Waste Another Kaprizov Night In Frustrating Home Loss
Kirill Kaprizov did his part, but it still was not enough to keep the Wild from getting burned at home again. Minnesota fell 5-2 to Winnipeg in the second game of a back-to-back, and Kaprizov accounted for both goals while trying to drag a tired lineup into the points column against one of the Wests steadier clubs.
The Jets did most of their damage through balance and speed, with Cole Perfetti striking twice and Mark Scheifele piling up a goal and two assists. Winnipeg also got a big night from its top line, leaving the Wild to sort through another frustrating result in a building where they needed more than a standout effort from their star winger. [Read more 🡒]
Wild Suddenly Have A Goalie Dilemma Fans Should Be Watching
Jesper Wallstedt has given the Wild something they always want but rarely get for free: steady goaltending while the incumbent is out. With Filip Gustavsson sidelined by offseason hip surgery, Wallstedt has handled the primary job well enough to keep Minnesota from feeling the absence as sharply as it might have, and it has quietly changed the shape of the season in net. What looked like a temporary fill-in assignment is starting to feel like a real evaluation of where the organization stands at the position.
Gustavsson is expected back later in the year, and when he does return the Wild will have a decision to manage rather than a simple handshake and a thank-you. Two capable goalies can be a luxury, but they can also become a logjam when the offseason arrives and the club has to weigh contracts, roles and possible trade interest. For Minnesota, the upside is obvious. The harder part may be figuring out how to keep both goalies happy, and whether that is even realistic. [Read more 🡒]