Kirill Kaprizov's Calder reaffirms value — and Wild's tricky negotiations

In the end, there was no debate.

Wild rookie sensation Kirill Kaprizov was the landslide Calder Trophy winner as the NHL's top rookie, earning 99 of a possible 100 first place votes — arriving at that Gretzky-esque total while Dallas rookie Jason Robertson earned the lone remaining first place vote and almost all the second-place votes.

But if the honor served to reaffirm just how special Kaprizov was during a rookie season in which he injected life into a Wild team that badly needed it, it also underscores that in meaning so much to Minnesota Kaprizov holds some cards as the two sides try to agree on a contract extension this offseason.

As I talked about on Wednesday's Daily Delivery podcast, Kaprizov is the type of player the Wild should open up the figurative checkbook for (even if I can't remember the last time I wrote a check) as it plots out a long-term future.

Complicating matters a little is Minnesota's short-term financial picture, which includes limited cap flexibility and other high priority players like Joel Eriksson Ek and Kevin Fiala needing new deals for more money.

Complicating matters an undefined amount is trying to discern what Kaprizov really wants — and how that fits into what the Wild wants.

NHL Network analyst Kevin Weekes stirred things up a couple weeks ago when he tweeted that talks between the Wild and Kaprizov have "gone cold" and that Kaprizov might want to return to playing in Russia.

Those who have followed enough contract negotiations, though, can probably discern that a threat like that is probably just a leverage play, given that Kaprizov can't negotiate with any other NHL team aside from the Wild.

The question then becomes: Is Kaprizov trying to gain leverage to get a shorter deal from the Wild in order to maximize his value on his next deal? Or is he just trying to squeeze whatever he can out of a long-term deal with the Wild, a contract that can be up to eight years?

If it's the former, Wild fans would be fretting a new deal almost as soon as it was signed. But if it's the latter, the Wild might have to overpay a little to keep their budding star happy.

In the end, though, there's this: It might not be possible to overpay Kaprizov given what we saw from him this season. For the sake of everyone involved, a hefty eight-year deal that acknowledges both Kaprizov's current and future value would be the happiest solution.