ST. PAUL, Minn. \u2014 The danger with asking for mailbag questions last week and running the answers this week is that things can change quickly in the NHL.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s put it this way: The Wild are 6-1-1 in their past eight games and tied for the most wins, points and fewest goals against in the league this month. So the tone of some of the questions was a wee bit more negative than they\u2019d probably be if we asked today.<\/p>\n
As Kirill Kaprizov said after scoring in overtime to beat Vegas on Sunday night, \u201cAll season, you never know \u2014 it can be up and down. \u2026 Standings can change so quick. We were at the end. Now we go up. You can win five games straight, then three games lose, and you go down again. It\u2019s just part of hockey.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, here\u2019s Part 2 of our Ask Russo and Smith mailbag. If you missed Part 1, click this link<\/a>.<\/p>\n In your opinion, was Kirill Kaprizov overpaid? \u2014 Mike W.<\/strong><\/p>\n Russo:<\/strong> Yeah, by NHL standards. I\u2019m not going to regurgitate the whole \u201cdifferent players have different values to different teams\u201d thing. Sure, it\u2019s true, and the Wild could not afford to lose Kaprizov. That\u2019s a fact.<\/p>\n But that doesn\u2019t mean he needed to be paid so astronomically more than every other potential free agent out there for 2026-27. The Wild were boxed in by an agent who clearly held the upper hand, and they ultimately conceded far more than they should have in the negotiation. Plain and simple, it doesn\u2019t look good for the Wild that the aftermath of Kaprizov signing for $17 million was Jack Eichel signing for $13.5 million, Connor McDavid for $12.5 million, Kyle Connor for $12 million, Martin Necas for $11.5 million and Adrian Kempe for $10.625 million.<\/p>\n All those players were willing to sign for significantly less than the new market value Kaprizov created because they wanted to help their team\u2019s salary structure so they could win. And even though Kaprizov is the best player in Wild history, being paid so much will absolutely affect what the Wild can and cannot do around him in the future. That\u2019s not good for anybody: for Kaprizov, who wants to win; for Bill Guerin, who really, really wants to \u201ceffin win;\u201d or for Craig Leipold, who really, really, really wants to win.<\/p>\n Minnesota should be a hockey destination, and Kaprizov should help make it one by luring other players. But it\u2019s troublesome that it took overpaying Kaprizov to such a large degree to keep their own homegrown player.<\/p>\n KIRILL KAPRIZOV IN THE CLUTCH!! \ud83d\ude31 <\/p>\n The @mnwild<\/a> win a big one in @Energizer<\/a> overtime! pic.twitter.com\/rzWsep1VGI<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 NHL (@NHL) November 17, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Is Kaprizov hurt? His skating, like the explosion, seems different. \u2014 Terry C.<\/strong><\/p>\n Russo:<\/strong> I don\u2019t believe so, and as Mats Zuccarello reminded me the other day<\/a>, Kaprizov had a significant surgery last February \u2014 and a \u201cbigger\u201d abdominal surgery than Zuccarello recently had. So it takes time, not just physically, but mentally.<\/p>\n I remember Mari\u00e1n G\u00e1bor\u00edk always used to say that, coming off his abdominal surgeries, his biggest worry on the ice was how hard to push sometimes because he was always worried about recurrence.<\/p>\n Is John Hynes scared of a goaltender controversy after the Wild paid Filip Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt\u2019s hot start? Why not keep the kid with a hot hand in? \u2014 Tony K.<\/strong><\/p>\n Smith:<\/strong> I don\u2019t get the sense that Hynes is scared of a goalie controversy<\/a>. When asked the other day if one was brewing, Hynes said, \u201cI\u2019ll take that any day of the week.\u201d What Hynes meant was that he likes when there\u2019s a healthy competition among goalies, which typically pushes them both to get better.<\/p>\n If Wallstedt continues to play like this, he\u2019s going to earn more starts. But Gustavsson has had a couple of good starts since Wallstedt\u2019s strong stretch started, so he\u2019s not going to give up the net either.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are really pushing each other,\u201d Gustavsson said. \u201cThat\u2019s what a good goalie tandem does.\u201d<\/p>\n You can tell Wallstedt is earning more trust from the staff every day with his practice habits and performance.<\/p>\n What exactly is Hynes\u2019 reasoning for not playing Zeev Buium in OT? \u2014 Bill P.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Smith:<\/strong> Well, Sunday was a good start, with Buium finally getting his first shift in an NHL overtime, getting on the ice for an offensive-zone faceoff.<\/p>\n It\u2019s hard to see a reason Buium isn\u2019t a regular in three-on-three, with his offensive skill set and special skating ability. Look at what rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer has done in OT recently. Part of Buium not being in initially was likely because Hynes was wary of the rookie\u2019s decision-making.<\/p>\n But Buium should be a staple in OT eventually here.<\/p>\n Russo:<\/strong> I\u2019m with you, Bill, as long as he doesn\u2019t defer. He needs to understand he\u2019s out there because he\u2019s good enough, smart enough and in the words of Stuart Smalley, dog-gone it, people trust him!<\/p>\n Buium was rightfully taken off the No. 1 power play after the first period Sunday because he refused to shoot from point-blank range and kept overpassing. But most of the time, defending in overtime is about skating and angling, which happen to be Buium\u2019s greatest qualities. You\u2019re not clearing the net front or, often, winning board battles in overtime, which are the areas Buium needs to grow in.<\/p>\n The Wild have lost four games in overtime. I\u2019d prefer to lose with Buium trying to make a play instead of Jonas Brodin not trying to make a play.<\/p>\n Joel Eriksson Ek has scored less than 20 goals since mid-February 2024. Is his lack of production indicative of a downward trend due to injuries, being miscast as a scoring-line center, or not being utilized correctly offensively? \u2014 Chris N.<\/strong><\/p>\n Russo:<\/strong> I do think injuries have affected him, but he\u2019s still so important on the net front on the power play, and his value goes so far beyond offense. Just look at the past three games. Eriksson Ek played roughly 10 minutes against Leo Carlsson\u2019s Anaheim Ducks line, Macklin Celebrini\u2019s San Jose Sharks line and Jack Eichel\u2019s Vegas Golden Knights line. The high-danger chances in those minutes? 10-1 in favor of the Wild. That\u2019s bonkers.<\/p>\n Eriksson Ek is also getting better in the faceoff circle as the season goes and leads the league in faceoffs won and faceoffs taken. Sure, it\u2019d be nice if he scored more, but his line usually wins its matchup. Opponents talk about Eriksson Ek the way they used to talk about Mikko Koivu. They hate playing against him.<\/p>\n That’s some incredible patience from Mats Zuccarello on that pass \ud83d\ude2f pic.twitter.com\/FpA1WzrRxi<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 NHL (@NHL) November 16, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Has Daemon Hunt played his way into a regular role? \u2014 Donny F.<\/strong><\/p>\n Smith:<\/strong> It\u2019s a small sample size, but Hunt is certainly showing he could become a regular. Whether it\u2019s as a top-four guy remains to be seen, but he gives the Wild options on the left side, especially if one of the veterans is moved. Buium has higher upside, but there\u2019s nothing wrong with having a reliable, smooth-skating left-shot D who can play second or third pair and the PK.<\/p>\n Russo:<\/strong> Plus, he\u2019s showing he can play the right side, which is valuable.<\/p>\n David Jiricek\u2019s skating was originally considered his biggest weakness. Does the coaching staff still consider that his biggest need? Or has this year identified other ways he needs to improve as well? When Zach Bogosian returns, does Jiricek go down to the AHL to get more time? \u2014 Bd B.<\/strong><\/p>\n Russo:<\/strong> To answer your last question first, if the Wild are healthy, almost certainly. Hunt\u2019s playing over Jiricek now, and that surely doesn\u2019t help a young defenseman\u2019s development.<\/p>\n I think Jiricek\u2019s skating issues were vastly exaggerated. I think his issue is more so limiting lethal mistakes. He makes one or two per game. Like the San Jose game recently, he was having a terrific game, and then he took a careless slashing penalty that led to a power-play goal against that forced overtime and an eventual loss in a game the Wild dominated virtually every second of.<\/p>\n I am not ready to cast him aside and say, \u201cHe can\u2019t be a player.\u201d I see all the tools that attracted the Wild to him, but at some point, he\u2019s got to put it all together.<\/p>\n When you realize a player is not going to be what you saw with \u201cscout\u2019s eyes,\u201d it\u2019s best to cut bait before the rest of the league figures it out. Clearly, the Columbus Blue Jackets decided that. This is why it\u2019s imperative for the Wild to figure out what they\u2019ve got here soon with Liam Ohgren. You don\u2019t want to give up on him too soon, but when I talk to scouts lately, he\u2019s starting to plummet down other teams\u2019 forward rankings.<\/p>\n Is Wild management \u2014 owner, GM and coach \u2014 aware of the fatigue factor growing amongst its fan base? Each new set of prospects brings with it the promise that this is the group. Still, we wait. Disappointed. Frustrated. And tired. \u2014 Dan D.<\/strong><\/p>\n Smith:<\/strong> I do believe they get it. I remember we had a conversation with Leipold before last season about whether he was worried that Wild fans wouldn\u2019t stay patient as they\u2019re still trying to become a serious contender.<\/p>\n \u201cAbsolutely,\u201d Leipold said. \u201cWe think about our fans all the time. We don\u2019t want to overpromise and underdeliver.\u201d<\/p>\n And don\u2019t think the Wild brass didn\u2019t notice early this season when attendance was smaller than usual. This franchise has been remarkably fortunate that the fanbase has stuck with it even after not winning a playoff series for a decade. This all played a part in the Kaprizov negotiations, too. Guerin acknowledged how devastating it would have been had their first true superstar not decided to stay.<\/p>\n The other question is how patient Leipold will be if the team continues to underdeliver the next year or two.<\/p>\n As good as Danila Yurov played with Marcus Foligno and Yakov Trenin, and with his higher skill upside, how does that impact the eventual return of Nico Sturm? Too soon to tell? Does it push Ryan Hartman back on the wing? Yurov to the AHL? \u2014 Skip C.<\/strong><\/p>\n Russo:<\/strong> I hope it\u2019s not the latter. Yurov keeps getting better every game. I love his competitiveness and reliability. Offense will come with time.<\/p>\n Obviously, we have to see what the health is with the team then. If Marco Rossi is back, for instance, maybe it pushes Yurov to the wing because they like Hartman at center. The one thing I\u2019ll say is I do think the Wild are considering trading Hartman.<\/p>\n Would the Wild be able to send Yurov down to Iowa? I was under the impression that if he was not playing in the NHL, he would be allowed to go back to the KHL instead of being sent to Iowa. \u2014 Tyler B.<\/strong><\/p>\n Russo:<\/strong> He has a European out clause for the entirety of his three-year contract, so it would be up to Yurov and his agent. That said, I can\u2019t see Yurov making such a long-term decision if the Wild were going to temporarily assign him to Iowa.<\/p>\n Can you expand on the comment you\u2019ve made about players like Kaprizov, who \u201ctook his name off the board\u201d for interviews and how that works? Do players do it before or after a game? Does the PR department dictate this? Do reporters make requests for players on the board? \u2014 Paul O.<\/strong><\/p>\n Smith:<\/strong> The Wild PR staff will ask beat writers for their requests for interviews for after a game, and we typically can agree on the key three or four. Their numbers are put on the dry-erase board in the dressing room. Usually, the players requested are available and come out to speak to us. Players rarely decline, which is why it was brought up when Kaprizov didn\u2019t just decline but erased his number from the board after a rough loss earlier this season.<\/p>\n To be fair, Kaprizov has been pretty good when it comes to granting interviews, and his growing proficiency with the English language and comfort level around reporters have been impressive. But Kaprizov is the team\u2019s best player and alternate captain, so it was a bad look for him to pass the responsibility of talking to his teammates, and it sent the wrong message to young players that they could do it too.<\/p>\n On a scale of 1 to 10, how much do you think Guerin regrets the Foligno extension? What he says to the media is one thing, but I would imagine he at least has some regret. \u2014 Steven A.<\/strong><\/p>\n Russo:<\/strong> I\u2019d put it at 1. Guerin loves Foligno and thinks he\u2019s critical to the success of the team. I personally do, too. He\u2019s so important in the locker room and drags the Wild into the fight physically, which is needed in the playoffs, and he is one of the league\u2019s best defensive forwards even when he\u2019s not scoring.<\/p>\n The only mistake with the extension was doing it before signing Hartman, because once Foligno got $4 million per, Hartman had to get at least that, given his role, position and 34-goal season after taking a pay cut to re-sign.<\/p>\n Candidly, the Foligno disparagement at times drives me crazy, but I\u2019m also biased because he\u2019s one of the best dudes I\u2019ve covered and is the most accountable athlete I\u2019ve ever seen. To Joe\u2019s point on Kaprizov wiping his name off the board above and leaving others to face the music with the media, guess which skater was the only one to talk after that game? You guessed it. Marcus.<\/p>\n Regardless, every player deserves a mulligan, and Kaprizov is great to deal with.<\/p>\n \ud83e\udece in THE HAT pic.twitter.com\/zLw0LtdBvh<\/a><\/p>\n\n
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