The Minnesota Wild’s rookie Kirill Kaprizov has quickly made his name known in the NHL. Kaprizov now holds several of the franchises’ records for players in their rookie season. Over the course of this season, Kaprizov has been one of the top players looked at for the Calder. Now with the Wild heading into the playoffs, “Dolla Bill Kirill” is being eyed as the rookie to win.
Offensive Powerhouse
As stated previously, Kaprizov holds the franchise record for most points scored by a rookie. He has 41 points. His offensive presence is easily one of the biggest contributions to the Wilds’ success this season. It seems like every time they score he has touched the puck. His speed and ability to move the puck have led to countless strong offensive runs by both him and the rest of the team.
Calder Race
Although Kaprizov is still the front-runner, Jason Robertson from the Dallas Stars has been picking up his game late in his own spectacular season. Although the two rookies have roughly the same amount of points on the season, Kaprizov is more split down the middle when it comes to goals and assists. Unlike Robertson who is a strong team player with 25 of his points coming in the form of an assist. I want to clarify that this isn’t a bad thing, points are points, but being a more well-rounded player is something that NHL looks at when it comes to awards.
A Wild Playoff Run Could Decide Calder
With Minnesota clinched in the playoffs, Kaprizov has an opportunity to show what he can really do. A strong playoff run by the Wild could be the final nail in the coffin for Robertson. Especially if Kirill can continue his hot streak throughout the rounds. Either way, this season has been a good showing of how quickly rookies can get the hang of playing in the NHL. With this year being a condensed season, it’s been rough on all the teams, not to mention the players that have never played at this level before.
