The Minnesota Wild walked into Game 5 against the Colorado Avalanche with everything to play for—a chance to extend their second-round series and keep their Stanley Cup hopes alive. Instead, they skated off the ice at Ball Arena with a 4-3 overtime loss, a blown 3-0 lead, and a mountain of questions about their future.
The crushing defeat came on Brett Kulak's series-winning goal, but the play that stung most happened moments earlier. In overtime, with a 2-on-1 opportunity staring him in the face, Kirill Kaprizov chose to pass instead of shoot. The puck turned the other way, and moments later, Colorado was celebrating a trip to the Western Conference Final.
NHL analyst Shayna Goldman summed it up on X: "Kaprizov passing here instead of shooting sets the series-clinching sequence in motion. Really tough one for the Wild after coming out so strong tonight."
That single decision has reignited a firestorm of criticism around Kaprizov's massive new contract—an eight-year, $136 million extension that kicks in next season with a staggering $17 million annual cap hit. To put that in perspective, no other player in the NHL is making even $15 million a year.
The scrutiny was immediate. On the "Spittin' Chiclets" podcast, former NHL forward Matt Murley didn't hold back, questioning both the size of the deal and its impact on team chemistry.
"During the season, Kaprizov goes and signs for 17 million dollars," Murley said. "Nobody needs to be making 17 million dollars. And it just doesn't feel right in a team if some guys are making $750K, and I got this guy making 17 million, and then it's fraudulent for 17 million dollars, even though we've never seen someone make that much."
Murley's criticism grew sharper after Kaprizov finished Game 5 without a single shot on goal—following up a one-shot performance in Game 4. "One shot in Game 4, zero shots in Game 5. Puck on his stick to win the game in overtime, passes it off. That is not a 17 million dollar player."
For context, stars like Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid have famously taken contracts below market value to help their teams build championship rosters. Kaprizov's deal—the richest in NHL history by annual value—puts him in a different category, one that comes with expectations that now feel heavier than ever after an early playoff exit.