Kirill Kaprizov’s Turnovers Spark Minnesota Wild Frustration After 45-Goal Season

Kirill Kaprizov’s turnovers spark Minnesota Wild frustration after 45-goal season

The Minnesota Wild are openly frustrated with Kirill Kaprizov’s play after he gave the puck away 112 times in 2025-26. The $17 million winger’s turnover total jumped from 73 to 112 while his takeaways fell to 22, the second-lowest mark of his career.

What happened with Kirill Kaprizov last season?

In 78 games last season-his second-highest NHL total-Kaprizov scored 45 goals and 89 points. Those ranked fourth and 14th in the league, respectively. Yet his 112 turnovers were 53 more than any prior campaign, while his 22 takeaways were a career low. The Wild shipped out top-nine forwards Vladimir Tarasenko, Marcus Johansson and Kaprizov’s close friend Mats Zuccarello this offseason, with Michael Russo of The Athletic reporting that Kaprizov’s play factored into the decision.

Why Minnesota Wild want more from their $17M superstar

Minnesota president of hockey operations Bill Guerin moved most of the Wild’s top trade assets last season to land Quinn Hughes, a move that won Guerin the GM of the Year award and helped the club reach the second round of the NHL Playoffs for the first time since 2014. But this offseason the Wild lost more talent than they added on paper. Russo said on his “Worst Seats in the House” podcast that internal frustration with Kaprizov’s play was a major reason Zuccarello was let go. When asked if the Wild ever regretted signing Kaprizov instead of trading him, Russo replied: “I think they are not happy with the way he’s playing.”

What Kaprizov’s struggles mean for the Wild’s future

Kaprizov’s $17 million cap hit now looms larger after the Wild lost Zuccarello, Tarasenko and Johansson. Yet Guerin still landed top targets like Hughes, Dylan Larkin and Brady Tkachuk by selling Minnesota as a contender. Russo noted that those stars chose the Wild because they see a team built to win now-not just because of one player’s contract. The Wild need Kaprizov to cut his turnovers and raise his defensive impact to justify his massive salary.

Could the Wild still trade Kirill Kaprizov?

While the Wild aren’t happy with Kaprizov’s play, they’re not ready to move him. The club’s ability to land Hughes, Larkin and Tkachuk hinges on being seen as a true Cup contender. Trading Kaprizov would free cap space and prospects, but it would also remove the very star power that convinced those players to join. For now, the Wild are betting that better play from Kaprizov will solve their biggest offseason headache.