Calder Trophy Awarded to Kirill Kaprizov

The Minnesota Wild's Kirill Kaprizov has won the Calder Trophy, awarded to the league's most proficient player playing in their first full NHL season. Kaprizov played 55 games for the Wild this year, scoring 27 goals and 24 assists to lead his team in both goals and points. He scored 2 goals and 1 assist in the playoffs, with the Wild losing to the Vegas Golden Knights in 7 games. 

Kaprizov was selected in the 5th round of the 2015 draft by Minnesota, 135th overall. His signing of a contract with CSKA Moscow of the KHL delayed his arrival on North American ice by three years. There has been some discussion around the league about whether Kaprizov is too old to be a genuine Calder candidate. Fellow candidate Jason Robertson is only 21, and the other nominee Alex Nedeljkovic is 25 but is a goaltender, a position that rarely graduates to the NHL any younger. Kaprizov's three years of professional hockey in Russia made him a more seasoned player than most other rookies in the league.

With that said, Kaprizov scored 10 more goals than Robertson and 6 more points, making him the easy choice to win the award. Minnesota now has their work cut out for them, as they attempt to sign their star rookie long-term, with reports claiming that Kaprizov wants to see the team make moves to upgrade their center position before he agrees to an extended contract. It's likely this award only solidifies the Wild's desire to keep the player in St. Paul. Big congrats to Kaprizov!

Photo credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports