Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold believes an extension with Kirill Kaprizov is close and he's prepared to break the bank to keep the star winger in St. Paul.

Kaprizov became eligible to sign an extension on July 1, though Michael Russo and Joe Smith of The Athletic reported in July that talks were on hold until Kaprizov returned from his summer away in Russia.  

“I just feel like we’re not that far off,” Leipold said Wednesday, per The Athletic. “I kind of think we’re there. I like to believe when Kirill comes over and gets a sense again for the excitement and the love of the city, I think we’ll be moving forward in a good direction.”

Leipold vowed last season that the club would not give Kaprizov a reason to leave based on money and doubled down on that sentiment again Wednesday.

"This will be a huge deal - likely the biggest in the NHL ever," he said. "There's no better human being or better hockey player or better person than Kirill. I think it will be a good conversation that we'll have with him. I'm very anxious and looking forward to that conversation. I think we'll move quickly after that."

Leon Draisaitl currently holds the title for the NHL's largest-ever contract after inking an eight-year, $112 million deal with the Edmonton Oilers last August, which kicks in this season. Draisaitl's carries a cap hit of $14 million under his deal, which also leads all players, ahead of Auston Matthews ($13.25 million) and Nathan MacKinnon ($12.6 million). 

Kaprizov's deal could also set a new bar for Connor McDavid as he continues to consider a contract extension with the Oilers ahead of potentially reaching free agency next July. McDavid carries a $12.5 million cap hit on his expiring deal. 

Kaprizov recorded 25 goals and 56 points while being limited to just 41 games due to injury with the Wild last season. He added five goals and nine points in six playoff games against the Vegas Golden Knights as Minnesota's series win drought was extended to 10 years - a streak that includes eight postseason appearances. 

With 23 goals and 52 points in 37 games to start last season, the 28-year-old winger was considered a Hart Trophy candidate before suffering a lower-body injury. He topped the 40-goal mark in each of the previous three seasons, with a career-high 47 goals and 108 points in 2021-22. 

Kaprizov is entering the final season of a five-year, $45 million contract that carries a cap hit of $9 million. He is currently slated to hit unrestricted free agency next year. 

“I’m very confident we’re going to get a deal done with Kirill. I think he really loves this market and this team,” Wild general manager Bill Guerin said after the team was eliminated from the playoffs in May. “I think he feels that we’re going in the right direction.”

Drafted 135th overall by the Wild in 2015, Kaprizov has 185 goals and 386 points in 319 career games. 

Kaprizov won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year in 2021 after recording 27 goals and 51 points in 55 games. He also represented the Wild at the All-Star Game three times.