Kirill Kaprizov is close to joining a Habs alumnus in a class of his own
Long overdue to make the jump to North America, Russian forward Kirill Kaprizov finally played his first season in the National Hockey League last season.
It must be said that the wait was worth it. The man who wears the same number as Connor McDavid literally transformed his team by helping the Minnesota Wild qualify for the playoffs with 27 goals and 51 points in 55 games.
Those numbers put him in the elite group of players who have reached the 30-goal plateau in their careers the fastest. In fact, as the Wild begin their 2021-22 campaign tonight against the Ducks, Kaprizov needs just three goals in the next five games to join, or even surpass, former Canadiens' Brian Savage for sixth all-time in that regard.
In addition to Savage, Kaprizov can also join two natural scorers in Canucks history in Pavel Bure and Brock Boeser, while former Finnish legend Teemu Selanne unsurprisingly sits atop the list.
Although he took his time before leaving his native Russia, Kaprizov wasted no time in establishing himself as one of the League's offensive threats. His performances have earned him a cool $45 million over five years, and will have Wild fans excited for years to come.
