The Philadelphia Flyers have been searching for top-end talent for the last decade. We have to believe they have found it in Matvei Michkov, but could they be adding another relatively soon? And could it be another uber-talented Russian winger?
Kirill Kaprizov is deep in a heated contract negotiation with the Minnesota Wild as he enters the final year of his five-year, $45-million contract that he signed with them back in 2021. Just several months away from unrestricted free agency, the Wild and general manager Bill Guerin want this case to be settled as quickly as possible and for the 28-year-old to live out the rest of his career in Minnesota.
But it certainly is not looking likely that Kaprizov is willing to sign away his future. He reportedly rejected an eight-year, $128-million contract that would make him the highest-paid player in the entire NHL and is edging closer and closer every single day to entering the open market to be one of the most talented free agents to ever be available in the history of the NHL.
So, could the Flyers get in on the action?
According to Bookies.com, one of the many sports betting websites, the Flyers are actually among the favorites to land Kaprizov.
From https://t.co/AhEE6HDoXX 😀
Kirill Kaprizov Next Team Odds
Carolina Hurricanes | +400 (20%)
Detroit Red Wings | +450 (18.2%)
Chicago Blackhawks | +450 (18.2%)
Minnesota Wild | +550 (15.4%)
New York Rangers | +750 (11.8%)
Philadelphia Flyers | +1000 (9.1%)
Boston Bruins |…— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) September 16, 2025
The Flyers are not at the very top of the list, but they are surprisingly high for a team just coming out of a rebuild and thinking about not losing a bunch of hockey games for the first time in a year or two.
Coming in as the most likely destination are the Carolina Hurricanes with +400 odds, next are two teams who want to take the next step in the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks with +450, coming in fourth is the scenario that Kaprizov stays put at +500, then come the New York Rangers and their other group of Russians to persuade him with +750 odds; but coming in next and technically with the sixth-highest odds are the Philadelphia Flyers with +1000 odds to get another Russian superstar.
They are not the best odds and we’re not sure if people should be taking out another mortgage on their house to make this bet, but just the fact that the Flyers are among these teams who have been heavily linked with the player over the past few months is quite a statement.
Most importantly, the specific odds are regarding Kaprizov’s next team. The Hurricanes could go out and do another Rantanen-esque trade to nab the star winger at the trade deadline as they send a haul of draft picks and prospects to Minnesota — which is probably why they’re at the top — but someone like the Flyers will have the available cap space to sign Kaprizov if he hits free agency.
As it stands, according to PuckPedia, the Flyers are projected to have over $40 million in cap space next summer. That is also with just Trevor Zegras, Jamie Drysdale, Sam Ersson, and Bobby Brink as notable restricted free agents that need new deals. Basically, the Flyers can offer Kaprizov a league-maximum salary and still be able to ice a team.
We’re not saying that they’re going to do that or whether or not that will be smart to do, but they technically can. Maybe that’s just another reason why they’re given such high betting odds. Plus, we can dream of Kaprizov and Michkov linking up on the power play and causing havoc for the rest of the decade.