That’s right, there’s a new record-breaking contract in the NHL.

After reports that he had turned down an eight-year extension at $16 million annually, Kirill Kaprizov agreed to terms on an eight-year extension worth $136 million ($17 million AAV) with the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday. NHL Insider Kevin Weekes reported the deal early Tuesday morning:

Kaprizov’s new deal is worth $12 million more than the one Alex Ovechkin signed in 2008, which carried Ovechkin through the 2021 season and was worth $124 million total. Kaprizov, 28, was the hottest player in the NHL to start the 2024-25 season. Before his injury on December 23, Kaprizov was second in goals (23) and fourth in points (50) in just 34 games. After making his return, he appeared in just three games before spending another two months on the IR.

Kaprizov scored 47 goals in 81 games during the 2021-22 season, a season in which he put up 108 total points. He’s routinely been an above point-per-game player in the NHL, but has struggled to remain healthy in recent seasons.

2025-26 marks the final season of Kaprizov’s current contract, a five-year deal carrying an AAV of $9 million. Seeing Kaprizov sign at a record-breaking number is certainly good news for stars such as Jack Eichel, Artemi Panarin, Kyle Connor — and of course Connor McDavid being the big one — who are all set to become free agents in 2026.

Of course, every eight-year contract that’s signed will be one of the last we ever see, as signing eight-year contracts will become a thing of the past as of September 16, 2026 under the new CBA.

The question now is… If Kirill Kaprizov is worth $136 million, what is Quinn Hughes worth? We’ll dive into that soon enough I’m sure…