A Night to Remember: Wild’s Kaprizov Scores First Career NHL Hat Trick

3 years ago  /  The Hockey Writers  /  Read Time: 5 minutes 8 seconds

• After being selected in the 5th round in the 2015 NHL Draft, Kaprizov has talked with three different Minnesota Wild general managers including Chuck Fletcher who drafted him, Paul Fenton, and current Wild GM Bill Guerin along the path to launch his NHL career.
• It was a lengthy and difficult path, but the Wild finally saw their coveted Russian prospect hit the ice this season.
• After a storybook ending – something unfamiliar to Wild fans – to his NHL debut which featured the game-winning goal to secure the overtime victory, Kaprizov scored his first career hat trick on Friday night.
• After tempered expectations and caution from some Wild fans, Kaprizov is clearly the real deal and has had no growing pains to start his career.
• Kaprizov was a force for the Wild in Friday night’s 4-0 shutout win against the Arizona Coyotes.
• He displayed his game-breaking ability that has been on full display this season as he scored his first career hat trick in the NHL.
• While Kaprizov has been a playmaking machine and edge work enthusiast so far this season, he hasn’t shot the puck nearly enough for a player of his caliber with a tantalizing shot such as his that was highlighted all over scouting reports before his arrival to the NHL.
• After Jonas Brodin scored an empty netter to make it 3-0, it didn’t look like the State of Hockey was going to get the chance to witness its dynamic star score his first career hat trick.
• The Wild are also finally seeing his dangerous shot too.
• It doesn’t look like Kaprizov is going to slow down any time soon which doesn’t look good for the other rookies.
• There was a degree of hesitation to shoot the puck to begin the season, as of late, Kaprizov has shot the puck more and Friday night’s game could be an indicator of the future.
• The Wild truly needed an upper-echelon player like Kaprizov to transform this Wild organization.

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