Once a slow starter, Wild’s Kirill Kaprizov is on a scoring tear

There’s been this perception that Kirill Kaprizov is a slow starter, a theory that took root in the Wild superstar’s second year when he didn’t score his first goal until the ninth game.

Only two goals through nine games last season fanned the flames.

Even this year, Kaprizov thought he might be headed for another crawl out of the gate after the Wild’s first game, a 3-2 win over Columbus in which the winger had one assist.

“Maybe again,” he said.

Not even close.

Kaprizov crossed the nine-game threshold earlier this week tied for the NHL lead in scoring in the best start of his career, a surge that’s mirrored in the Wild’s 6-1-2 record.

“I feel like first game of the season I was a little bit slow and not what I usually play the game,” Kaprizov said. “Then I just tried to be relaxed and just play my game. Enjoy the game. That’s it.”

Perhaps this performance will finally dismiss the slow starter premise for good.

Kaprizov’s up to 18 points, averaging a league-high two points per game. Only once, in the Wild’s third game, was he held pointless, and the season opener was the only time Kaprizov picked up only one point.

Otherwise, he’s pocketed two or three, and his seven multipoint games tied for the most in the NHL.

If he has another Friday vs. Tampa Bay at Xcel Energy Center in the Wild’s return home from an impressive 5-1-1 road stretch, he’ll set a franchise record for most multipoint games in a row with seven.

The goal and two assists he registered on Tuesday in the 5-3 victory at Pittsburgh was the 35th game he notched at least three points to pass former captain Mikko Koivu for the most in Wild history.

“Nothing crazy,” Kaprizov said. “Just nine games.”

This is a small sample size, but the impact he’s had on the Wild during those nine games has been seismic: Kaprizov has factored in approximately 53% of the Wild’s offense, netting five goals and assisting on 13 others, which is tied for third in the NHL; his 10 primary assists are first.

“Best player in the league,” winger Mats Zuccarello said.

Kaprizov disagreed with his linemate.

“He’s liar,” he said before laughing, but if Kaprizov keeps contributing at this clip, he’s bound to stay in contention for the NHL scoring title and that’s where the best of the best rank and MVP candidates are born.

“It’s no surprise he’s doing what he is thus far,” defenseman Brock Faber said. “He still thinks he has more to give at times. That’s what superstars are. He’s the definition of one. He’s right up there, absolutely.”

Kaprizov is tied for third in points with Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon, the two trailing the 19 Vegas’ Mark Stone and MacKinnon’s Avalanche teammate Cale Makar have. The Lightning’s Nikita Kucherov is one point behind Kaprizov, but the other usual leaders — such as Edmonton’s Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl and Toronto’s Auston Matthews — are way behind, with McDavid out the next few weeks because of an ankle injury.

The last time Kaprizov, 27, finished a top-five scorer was when he posted career highs in goals (47) assists (61) and points (108) in 2021-22.

“It always feels good when it’s like this,” Kaprizov said. “Just play every game as hard as you can and show your best hockey and don’t think about how many points you have or stuff like this. Sometimes you can play 30 games in a row pretty good and 15 go down or something.

“For me, I think it should be better play all season same level, and this is most important for me — not like up and down. Play good all year.”

The Wild are giving Kaprizov ample opportunity to achieve that consistency.

Among forwards, only MacKinnon is averaging more ice time than Kaprizov, whose 22 minutes, 49 seconds are three seconds shy of MacKinnon. Double-shifting Kaprizov every game probably isn’t practical, but it has made sense for the Wild to rely on him more while he’s been locked in during a spaced-out schedule that hasn’t featured a back-to-back since the second and third games of the Wild’s season.

“He’s defensively responsible,” coach John Hynes said. “He’s extremely competitive on the puck. He’s playing big minutes. He’s producing 5-on-5 and on the power play.

“It’s fun to coach. It’s fun for all of us to watch.”

That’s also how Kaprizov, who was named the NHL’s Third Star of the week, feels playing this way.

“When you score goals and you have a lot of chances on the ice, you go next shift and you’re [not] tired,” Kaprizov said. “You just want to show something more, and you’re happy inside here and you just want to play hockey and it’s fun.”