His swagger on the ice makes it easy to forget he’s just a kid navigating life in a foreign country for the first time. His bashfulness is clear whenever he steps in front of a camera.
That was evident Tuesday when Kaprizov chatted with reporters via a translator for just the third time this season. In the 30-minute Zoom call, he touched on everything from his chemistry with his linemates to his “Dolla Bill Kirill” nickname that has started to catch on with Wild fans.
“The transition has been going very well,” he said. “I think the team’s gotten into a good rhythm, and myself, personally, I’ve also gotten to a good rhythm as well.”
Kaprizov’s work ethic already has become the stuff of legend among teammates. He usually is the last person on the ice after any given practice, firing wrist shot after wrist shot on goal, then cleaning up the pucks himself when he’s finally shooed away.
Those extra reps might explain why Kaprizov has consistently been among the best players the ice. He has been the player that picks up the Wild on most nights, and other teams have started to take notice.
Just look at the recent two-game series against the Los Angeles Kings for example. It seemed like every time Kaprizov hopped over the boards, Kings star defenseman Drew Doughty was attached to his hip. There also have been cases of opposing teams being extra physical with Kaprizov in attempt to throw him off his game.
Not that Kaprizov cares too much. In fact, most of the time he doesn’t even notice it.
“I try not to think about it,” he said. “It’s not something I go into games thinking about. I’m sure it’s happening. You’ve got to play through it. You’ve got to just keep moving your legs and keep doing your job.”
That strategy has worked so far as Kaprizov is the Wild’s leading scorer and has emerged as a frontrunner for the Calder Trophy, which goes to the NHL’s best first-year player. He already has exceeded most everyone’s expectations except his own. That’s because he didn’t have any expectations entering this season.
“I just wanted to play my best,” Kaprizov said. “If I play my best, and I make my teammates better, and my teammates will play their best, things will work themselves out. I just go out there and do my job and do it as best as I can and kind of let everything take care of itself.”
As much as Kaprizov has adapted on the ice, he’s also getting more comfortable off it. His teammates love him and coach Dean Evason constantly raves about his overall demeanor.
His relationships have been aided by the fact that his English has improved steadily since his arrival two months ago.
“There’s been a ton of progress,” Kaprizov said. “Any communication with the coach and teammates seems to be getting along very well. Every once in a while, there will be a word I don’t understand. It still seems every conversation I totally get. I’m not running into too many situations where I’m not getting anything.”
Maybe the only criticism of Kaprizov so far is that he’s too much of a team player. So far, he has been looking to pass more than he’s looking to shoot, and he knows that has to change.
“I think there’s a balance between shooting and passing,” he said. “I have been told in the past by my father and by previous coaches to shoot a little bit more, and personally, I would like to try and shoot a little more. Sometimes I can make an extra pass. I give my word: I’ll try and shoot more, so I can score more goals.”
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Sensational Wild rookie Kirill Kaprizov: 'I give my word, I'll try and shoot more' - Duluth News Tribune
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