'Doing the Wrong Things': Kirill Kaprizov Faces Criticism From Head Coach After Another Tough Loss
The Minnesota Wild are off to a rough start in 2025/26, and after a historic deal in the off-season, Kirill Kaprizov has been put on notice by coach John Hynes.
This off-season, the Minnesota Wild had some major decisions to make, and despite plenty of speculation, the team eventually ended up signing Kirill Kaprizov to a historic deal, inking a deal with an average annual value of $17 million per season.
Early in the 2025/26 campaign however, the team are struggling for momentum as they sit at 3-5-3 on the new season, and while Kaprizov leads the team in scoring with 6 goals and 15 points in 11 games, his Head Coach isn't completely happy with him.
John Hynes Calls Out Major Flaws In Kaprizov's Game
Unfortunately, Kaprizov has had some issues with turnovers early in the year, and while John Hynes believes Kaprizov is playing well, he called out his need to be smarter with the puck and stop trying to push things.
I see a guy that's highly competitive that wants to win, that wants to be a difference maker. I think there's certain aspects of his game that I need to talk with him about. It's not for a lack of effort or lack of care.
I just think there's times where you have to have some better decisions. But other than that, mostly with the team, it's sometimes doing the wrong things for the right reasons, right? You want to make the difference. You want to make a play, but sometimes they're not there. I think that's a big part of it.
I just think there's times where you have to have some better decisions. But other than that, mostly with the team, it's sometimes doing the wrong things for the right reasons, right? You want to make the difference. You want to make a play, but sometimes they're not there. I think that's a big part of it.
Clearly, Hynes likes Kaprizov's overall game, but unfortunately his turnovers have defined the Wild's last few games, especially on Tuesday as his overtime turnover led to the game winner from veteran Kyle Connor.
Ultimately, Kaprizov is going to continue producing at a very high level, but for now, Hynes wants him to be a bit smarter and more patient with the puck, and if he can do that, this team may find themselves making a post-season push once more in 2025/26.
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