After rejecting a contract extension offer from the Minnesota Wild that would've made him the highest-paid forward in the league this upcoming season, star forward Kirill Kaprizov has been the subject of speculation and rumors in the media and various fan circles early this week.
There are a handful of teams that have the means and the salary cap sheet room to hypothetically make a trade deal work with the Wild in the Western Conference for Kaprizov this year, including the Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks.
How much would it take for the Los Angeles Kings to get star Kirill Kaprizov if he doesn't sign a contract extension in Minnesota this upcoming season in the West?
LA is one of the teams that has the talent, depth, and cap room in the Pacific Division from the top-six forward core lines that could make a viable pitch as a playoff contender for a star and top-notch playmaker with elite goal-scoring like Kaprizov.
If Kaprizov doesn't reach a contract extension deal with the Wild this upcoming season in Minnesota, their front office would probably look to reach a deal to trade him to another team in the NHL before the deadline next year in 2026.
Kaprizov could fill the need general manager Ken Holland and the Kings have on the top six forward lines to get a top-tier playmaking forward in the West and someone who can get this team over the hump against the Edmonton Oilers in the first round of the playoffs.
Getting a player of Kaprizov's caliber in the mix would also hypothetically fill the Kings' priority need of finally landing the elite goal scorer and star forward that Holland and the front office wanted this offseason for the 2025-26 season.
The Kings were mentioned among the potential trade destinations for Kaprizov if the Wild hypothetically decided to shop Kirill on the trade block next year on the market in a piece from Bleacher Report on Sep. 15.
In a world where the Wild do look for a Kaprizov trade, reaching out to the Kings would require a hefty trade package in return this season. The Kings would have to lack center depth and give up a lot for mortgaging their future from the rebuild in the past few years in the process.