Sources: Minnesota Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov back in U.S.
Kirill Kaprizov saw his Minnesota Wild jersey virtually on Wednesday after signing a two-year contract with the team this week.
MINNEAPOLIS - It appears any worries about the Minnesota Wild potentially being without star forward Kirill Kaprizov for the 2022-23 season can be put to rest, at least for now.
Sources tell Fox 9 Sports Director Jim Rich that Kaprizov has arrived in the United States after spending much of the offseason in Russia. According to multiple reports, Kaprizov is expected to fly to Minnesota as early as Tuesday.
Multiple reports emerged earlier this summer that attempts to travel to the U.S. by Kaprizov had been halted due to allegedly obtaining a fraudulent military ID back in 2017. Those allegations have since been refuted, and reports indicate the Wild were attempting to get him a work visa to travel back to the U.S.
Wild general manager Bill Guerin said earlier this summer, "He’s fine, he’s in Russia" and hasn’t offered an update since.
Kaprizov, 25, won the Calder Trophy in 2021 and the 2015 fifth-round pick signed a five-year, $45 million deal before last season to become one of the highest-paid players in Wild franchise history. Kaprizov followed that up by setting a franchise record with 47 goals and 61 assists for 108 points.
The Wild recorded 113 points in the regular season last year, also a franchise record, before being eliminated in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the St. Louis Blues. The Minnesota Wild will start training camp next month.