Update on Kirill Kaprizov Talks With Wild
Guerin told NHL.com Tuesday that he remains optimistic the reigning Calder Memorial Trophy winner will re-sign with the club but didn't offer any insight on whether or not that will happen before training camp begins Sept. 23.
"The player is doing what he feels is right," Guerin told NHL staff writer Tom Gulitti. "You need to respect that, and I do. I respect Kirill, and I don't think he's doing anything abnormal right now. It's just a matter of, 'When do we get the deal done?'"
Kaprizov's camp has been quiet throughout the negotiation process, with Guerin and the Wild taking the lead in dealing with the media.
As a player, Guerin has been there before. He has held out twice on contract negotiations. "Neither time did it work out well for me," he said.
The GM said the team has made an offer to the player it feels is "very good," but the 51 point-getter last year is holding out and playing his cards close to his chest. Last month, reports surfaced that Kaprizov was willing to jump ship and head to the KHL if a deal was not reached. Guerin said then that he was not concerned.
Discussions between the Wild and the player's agent, Paul Theofanous, have stalled. Guerin told NHL.com that is sometimes part of the process.
"There are a lot of other teams with good players not signed yet," he said. "So I'm not sitting here worrying about it every day."
Brady Tkachuk of the Ottawa Senators, Rasmus Dahlin of the Buffalo Sabres and two Vancouver Canucks, Ellias Petterson and Quinn Hughes, have yet to sign mew deals without their clubs as restricted free agents.
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