Kirill Kaprizov was selected No. 1 overall by Metallurg Novokuznetsk in the Kontinental Hockey League draft. He was there for that moment in 2014. One year later, he was selected by the Minnesota Wild in the fifth round at No. 135 overall. He was not in Sunrise, Fla. to hear the Wild call his name. The Wild traded a 2016 fifth round draft pick to the Boston Bruins in order to move up to pick 135 to select the Novokuznetsk, native.
He is a relatively unknown player in North America, but did record 11 goals and 16 assists in 53 games for the KHL’s worst team in 2015-16 and is considered one of the better young players in Russia.