Stanzel’s Sports Takeout — BREAKING NEWS: 10.1.25
Three big talkers despite only a pre-season Wild game has happened since Monday…
Wild Make Kaprizov Highest-Paid Player in NHL History
A couple weeks after the sides left a meeting without an agreement that would make Kirill Kaprizov the highest-paid player in NHL history, the Wild upped the ante and now, Dolla Bill Kirill makes more than any NHL player ever.
Kaprizov agreed to terms on an eight-year contract that will pay him an average of $17 million per year. It’s a contract unlike any other in the NHL (hello, Suter and Parise flashbacks), as he Kaprizov will make $1 million in actual salary per year, and another $16 in signing bonuses paid July 1.
It’s a lot of money, yes. It’s a lot of term, yes, for a oft-injured player who will be 37 when the contract ends (the contract begins in the 2026-27 season). But the NHL salary cap is projected to keep going up - what’s 16 percent of the league’s salary cap in year one will be closer to 10 to 12 percent later on.
Still, no NHL team has won a Stanley Cup with a skater making $10 million or more. Depth is important. There’s room for other signings as time goes on, and the Wild has a strong core signed longish term, but get used to a handful of NHL minimum players filling out roster spots.
The Wild really had no other choice, and honestly it’s not like Kaprizov did right now. Good luck selling tickets without giving Kirill the deal, and Kaprizov himself could not have liked the idea of going into a season with the possibility of getting injured (again) and costing himself millions next year.
The news wasn’t all good in Wild camp yesterday, as the team announced Mats Zuccarello, often Robin to Kirill’s Batman, will miss two months with a lower body injury.
The Wild, by the way, won 3-2 last night against Winnipeg. If Matt Boldy keeps up his pre-season play it’ll be a fun regular season.
Phee the Latest to Rip WNBA Brass
It’s hard to imagine Cathy Engelbert serving as WNBA Commissioner whenever another WNBA season finally begins.
Lynx star and perennial MVP candidate Napheesa Collier spent more than four minutes lighting into Engelbert in particular on locker cleanout day Tuesday, a day that could have been Game 5 of the Mercury series. Collier’s coach was suspended for Game 4 and fined $15K; Collier will have a similar fine in her future.
Among the things Collier said:
The WNBA has the “best players and best fans” but the “worst leadership” in the world.
She alleges Engelbert told her “only losers complain about the refs” which has been shown to be false.
Engelbert told her that Caitlin Clark should be grateful for the WNBA because the league is responsible for her sponsorship deals.
Engelbert also said Collier and other players should “be on their knees” thankful for the latest broadcast rights deal (Collier makes $214,000 a year, the commissioner makes $3 million).
Collier’s four-minute speech, among all other things, makes you realize the players won’t go quietly with the CBA negotiations. Collier and her husband also founded and run Unrivaled, the winter 3-on-3 league that is going to pick up added significance and importance with the WNBA in flux.
Engelbert is a former college basketball and lacrosse player, but came to the WNBA after many years as an accountant and with Deloitte. This league needs a more recent former player who knows the ins and outs - or at the very least trusts what the players are saying.
Even UConn’s legendary coach, Geno Auriemma, was asked this week about the WNBA and he basically said it’s terrible basketball more often than not because of players getting mugged.
Engelbert came out with a terrible statement that didn’t actually refute anything Collier said, basically admitting it.
Twins Fire Baldelli
As I’ve said for years, Rocco Baldelli was far from the only Twins’ problem, but he ultimately was made the scapegoat by Derek Falvey on Monday. Falvey, who sold off tens of millions in salaries under the Pohlads direction, probably should have also been shown the door.
I didn’t love the way Rocco managed the pitching staff, although it’s amazing how once the pitching staff got better, the training wheels came off. He was way too dependent on analytics, but as time went on it kind of felt like Falvey and his numbers gurus were making all those calls, anyways.
So now the Pohlads must pay one manager to not manage (for 2026), and find one who will, and for cheap. And none of the names out there really get the blood pumping. Toby Gardenhire would be the cheap option in Triple-A, but does he want to be a part of this?
Twins fans are clamoring for guys like Torii Hunter, Nelson Cruz, and Joe Mauer to a lesser extent. Hunter is at least working for a team as a special assistant and wants to be a manager, but do you want a guy learning on the job, while managing a roster of a bunch of guys also learning on the job?
I sound hypocritical saying that, of course, because I constantly critizie teams for just hiring retreads (hello, Bruce Bochy).
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