Minnesota Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov has successfully returned to the US from Russia, according to a report by Michael Russo of The Athletic.
Kaprizov, 25, is believed to have left Russia via Turkey last week and arrived in New York City. The 2022 candidate Hart Trophy is scheduled to fly to Minnesota on Tuesday.
News of Kaprizov’s arrival on American soil comes amid a tumultuous summer for Russian athletes trying to leave the country.
In July, report rise That scorer Ivan Fedotov, signed by the Philadelphia Flyers in May, was detained by Russian law enforcement and taken to a remote military base. Fedotov previously played for CSKA Moscow, a club with close ties to the Russian military.
Also in July, word spread that Kaprizov was under surveillance in Russia for allegedly purchasing fake military identification cards in 2017. According to Russo, those allegations were “largely dismissed” and Kaprizov has You can defer military service while still a student. of the Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration.
Kaprizov is Minnesota’s most important player in any position. The 5-10, 202-pound winger from Novokuznetsk, Russia has scored 47 goals and 108 points (both one-season franchise records) in 81 games with Wild in the 2021–22 season and scored more seven goals and eight points in six playoffs. Game.
Last September, Wild signed Kaprizov to a five-year contract with a $9 million annual cap. Kaprizov has four years left on Wild’s contract (the last two seasons include a full no-move clause) and will become an unrestricted free agent in 2026.
Kaprizov won the Calder Memorial Trophy in 2021 as the National Hockey League’s top rookie. In 136 career regular matches with Wild, Kaprizov scored 74 goals and 159 points.
