The Minnesota Wild's quest to lock in Kirill Kaprizov starts now

• The Russian phenom's contract expires in two years, and he's so talented that the hockey world is already making guesses about his next move.

Driving the news: In June, The Athletic's Mark Lazerus reported widespread "speculation" in NHL circles that the division rival Chicago Blackhawks "have their eye on" Kaprizov.

• This week, Lazerus expanded on the original rumor, saying Kaprizov was "intrigued" by Chicago's interest.

Reality check: It's all gossip, so take it with a grain of salt.

• "Kaprizov is not asking out, nothing like that," Lazerus posted on social media, noting that much can change in a year and a half.

Yes, but: There's a chance Kaprizov doesn't re-sign with Minnesota, and the Wild front office knows it.

• "We need to show [Kaprizov] that we're committed to winning," general manager Bill Guerin said at a press conference in April.

The big picture: By all accounts, "Kirill The Thrill" enjoys playing in Minnesota, but he has yet to see the second round of the playoffs since joining the Wild.

• Last season, the team missed the postseason for the first time since 2019.

The intrigue: The Wild are still paying huge salary cap penalties after buying out two former players, meaning they were unable to afford a major offseason roster addition.

Threat level: It won't be long before Kaprizov ages out of his competitive prime.

• He'll be 29 when his next contract begins and likely would not want to sign long term with a team without a chance at the Cup.

Between the lines: While he's under contract through 2025-26, the team's performance this season will set the tone for negotiations next summer.

• If it becomes clear Kaprizov won't re-sign here, the Wild might need to explore a trade to avoid losing the star without getting anything in return.

What they're saying: When asked about his future last April, Kaprizov told reporters he's focusing on the present.

• "We have a lot of good players on the team," he said. "We always have a chance to win games and go [to the] playoffs."

The bottom line: Guerin believes the Wild are still a playoff team. If he hopes to re-sign Kaprizov without fuss, they had better be.