There's No Reason to Worry About a Kaprizov/Hughes Repeat for the Wild
The Minnesota Wild's strategy is clear: they've secured two superstars, Kirill Kaprizov and Quinn Hughes, at the peak of their abilities. The team invested heavily to retain Kaprizov and will likely go to great lengths to keep Hughes. With these two highly-paid cornerstones, the Wild aims to build a strong foundation for the future.
This approach is similar to what Chuck Fletcher implemented for the Wild in 2012. Craig Leipold opened his wallet and signed Zach Parise and Ryan Suter to massive deals, spending $198 million in one go. Despite the significant cost, the duo proved their worth.
Parise, though slowed by injuries, played over 550 games and scored 400 points during his time in Minnesota. Suter was a defensive rock for the Wild for almost a decade, contributing 369 points. However, the Parise/Suter era had its limitations. The team struggled to build around them, and their success was capped at the second round of the playoffs, with only five home dates past the first round in nine years.
Now, the Wild faces a similar situation with Kaprizov and Hughes. Kaprizov has already dealt with injuries, and both he and Hughes are among the highest-paid players in their respective positions. The team's salary cap situation is concerning, with $30 to 35 million tied up in these two players in 2027-28, which is a significant portion of the cap. In 2012-13, Parise and Suter occupied around 25% of the salary cap.
The parallels between the Parise/Suter and Kaprizov/Hughes eras are striking, but there's a crucial difference. This time, the Wild is building around true superstars. Kaprizov and Hughes are both exceptional players, and their impact on the team is undeniable.
Parise and Suter, while talented, were on the cusp of superstardom. Parise's 45 goals and 94 points in the 2008-09 season were impressive, but not quite enough to reach the superstar status. He ranked 14th among forwards in terms of Standings Points Above Replacement in the five years before his free agency. Suter, on the other hand, was considered a solid defensive player, but not the best on his own team, the Nashville Predators.
Kaprizov and Hughes, however, are operating from a higher baseline. In the 2021-22 season, Kaprizov ranked 10th among forwards with 26.3 Standings Points Above Replacement, and Hughes ranked 15th among defensemen with 29.3. These numbers, along with their exceptional play, solidify their superstar status.
Hughes, in particular, stands out for his offensive capabilities. He drives the offense from the blueline, pushing the pace at 5-on-5 even more than superstars like Draisaitl, Kaprizov, and Panarin. Suter, in contrast, had a solid defensive presence but was not a game-changer on the offensive side.
The Wild's current core is sturdy, with supporting players like Matt Boldy, Joel Eriksson Ek, and Jonas Brodin. While the team is not yet a finished product, locking in Kaprizov and Hughes long-term will provide a stronger foundation than the Parise/Suter era. The Wild is building a team that can compete for championships, and the future looks bright.
