New Delhi, Sept. 30 -- The Minnesota Wild have secured their franchise player. On Tuesday, September 30, general manager Bill Guerin announced that the team signed forward Kirill Kaprizov to an eight-year, $136 million extension, the largest contract in the history of the National Hockey League (NHL).

The new deal kicks off in the 2026-27 season. Its annual average value (AAV) is $17 million, the highest since the league introduced a salary cap in 2005.

According to The Athletic, it even tops Leon Draisaitl's $14 million deal with Edmonton and puts Kaprizov ahead of stars like Auston Matthews and Nathan MacKinnon.

The contract includes a $1 million base salary each year and massive signing bonuses every July 1. The bonuses start at $18...