Rangers dream scenario alive after Kirill Kaprizov’s contract bombshell

The New York Rangers are ready for a new season, and their first with Mike Sullivan as head coach. After spending years with the rival Pittsburgh Penguins and winning two Stanley Cups, Sullivan returns to the organization where he was assistant coach years ago to help bring the Rangers back to Stanley Cup contention.

This season can be viewed as a bit of a retooling year, as they traded away multiple players like Chris Kreider and K'Andre Miller, and Sullivan will look to see which players are a fit for his vision. But next summer, the NHL free agency class is notoriously stacked with three young superstars set to hit the open market.

One of those impending free agents is starting to look like a realistic option for the Rangers.

Hockey insider Frank Seravalli reported on Wednesday that Kirill Kaprizov and his camp turned down a contract extension from the Minnesota Wild that would have made him the highest-paid player in NHL history. The contract was worth $128 million over eight years.

Rangers' Kirill Kaprizov dreams can become reality as star turns down record-breaking offer from Wild

Turning down $128 million in total and an annual salary of $16 million? That certainly doesn't look like Minnesota's chances of retaining Kaprizov are good. Maybe things change in the future, but for now, it opens the door for other teams like the Rangers to pursue him in free agency if that happens.

The Rangers have been no strangers to pursuing big name free agents in the past. Back in 2019, the Rangers signed star winger Artemi Panarin to a seven-year, $81.5 million contract. Then there were the likes of Marián Gáborík, Vincent Trocheck, and even Wayne Gretzky. So it shouldn't be shocking if the Rangers go spending on a big name next summer.

The Rangers do have some cap space at their disposal next summer, which adds up to $29.6 million, per Spotrac. That shoud be enough space for the Rangers to make a run at a Kaprizov, Jack Eichel, and, unbelievably, Connor McDavid. Of course, that will be dependent on what Sullivan and President and General Manager Chris Drury want to do.

Kaprizov is one of the league's top young top stars. In five years on the Wild, he has scored 185 goals and notched 201 assists for 386 points in 319 games played. Last season, Kaprizov was limited to 41 games due to a lower body injury. In that stretch of games, Kaprizov recorded 25 goals and 31 assists.

For Rangers fans wanting the team to land another superstar for the future, Kaprizov looks to be heading to the open market. It should help that Igor Shesterkin is close friends with Kaprizov, and they've previously hung out together at Madison Square Garden of all places.

Really makes you wonder.