Kirill Kaprizov Remains Unsigned
from Michael Russo of The Athletic,
Training camp opens next Thursday, the two sides haven’t spoken in more than a week and the Wild’s leading scorer from a season ago and reigning Calder Trophy victor remains in Russia without a deal.
The consistent line from Wild general manager Bill Guerin all offseason is “these things take time,” but time is of the essence now. It’s rarely a quick, easy process to get an unsigned European player to North America in normal times, let alone in the midst of a pandemic.
“There are gonna be some obstacles,” an exasperated-sounding Guerin admitted to The Athletic on Monday night.
It’s looking more and more probable that, at a minimum, Kaprizov won’t be on the ice when the Wild open training camp on Sept. 23.
If Kaprizov were to sign this very second, he’d first need to secure a work visa to travel to the United States. He’d also need to get tested for COVID-19. Then, once he arrives in Minnesota, NHL protocols state that Kaprizov would likely need to quarantine for at least seven days before being permitted inside the team’s practice facility.
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