The NHL season is right around the corner, and one of the major storylines everyone is watching is how things will play out between the Minnesota Wild and defenseman Quinn Hughes.
Remember, he is entering the final year of a six-year, $47.1 million deal with a $7.85 million AAV, and he becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1st, 2027. Many assumed a contract would be done, given he has been eligible for an extension since July 1st, 2026. However, nothing has been agreed to yet.
As Quinn Hughes reiterated when training camp opened as the Wild took to the ice, he is comfortable with where things are in the negotiation process and isn’t stressed that he hasn’t signed an extension yet.
“I wouldn’t say there’s any issues here,” Hughes said. “I just think that we’re going through the process, specifically myself, and just taking the time. I don’t feel pressure to do anything. I’m really happy here. I love the guys. I love the team. And I fit in really well. Obviously there’s a draw to playing with (my brothers) at some point. But I think Jack said it perfectly at (the recent NHL/NHLPA Player) Media Tour: I’m not going to sacrifice a great spot for me to play … with them.”
Wild General Manager Bill Guerin doubled down on Quinn Hughes’s position when he said during an interview with the NHL on TNT crew on Friday that this is a process and things won’t happen overnight. It is a big decision for the player with so many factors going into it.
“Like I’ve said before, like with Kirill last year, Quinn this year. These are big decisions for players. They put a lot of thought into it. Quinn’s a very thoughtful guy. He’s going through the process in his mind,” Guerin said. “What’s going to be best for him in his life? Where does he want to be? All those things go into it. It’s no different than Kirill, no different than any other player. So we’re trying to allow him the time, not to put too much pressure on him. He knows where we stand. We want him here for a long, long time. He’s a big part of our team, big part of our core. But again, these things take time.”
And the Minnesota Wild have time at least for now. GM Bill Guerin remains comfortable and confident in the situation. So does their owner, Craig Leipold, who said at Board of Governors meetings that the Wild were signing Quinn Hughes.
He took a similar stance on the radio in the summer, saying the team would sign Quinn Hughes, even though it preferred a five-year deal while the player wanted three.
Remember, Kirill Kaprizov signed his then-record-breaking extension on September 30th, 2025. With the season starting earlier this year, on September 29th, that probably won’t happen unless Quinn Hughes wants it to.
As he said during the North American NHL Media Player Tour, when it comes to his future, Quinn Hughes will do things on his time and terms.
“This is going to be done whenever I feel like it needs to be done. I don’t feel backed up against a wall. I’m very thoughtful,” Quinn Hughes told the media at the North America Media Player Tour. “I want to make sure I’m taking my time on everything and make sure I’m making a decision that is going to be good for everyone. That’s kind of where my head has been at. We haven’t had that many conversations just because of how I wanted my summer to go in terms of being fresh and resetting and enjoying and training and being around friends and family. As we get going here, I’m sure it’ll heat up, but I don’t feel backed up against a wall where I have to sign before camp.”
Those statements make it clear that Quinn Hughes isn’t making decisions based on what the “experts” think he should do. However, if you go back to the end of his end-of-season media availability, the Minnesota Wild defenseman was open to re-signing.
If you remember, Quinn Hughes was grateful and thankful when Wild GM Bill Guerin stepped up to trade for his services from the Vancouver Canucks in December 2025. The Wild gave up Zeev Buium, Marco Rossi, Liam Ohgren, and a first-round pick to get the NHL’s second-best defenseman without an extension.
He understands what the Wild are trying to do. Quinn Hughes has spoken highly of the team and his teammates, and has dropped little hints that his general manager is a riverboat gambler always looking to improve the team. However, it’s wait-and-see as the season gets going and we see where the Minnesota Wild are.
Quinn Hughes has stated multiple times that it comes down to what he wants to do and where he feels most comfortable playing for the next little bit. Is it in Minnesota, or someplace else?
Most believe he will sign an extension with the Wild, but it will be at or just under Cale Makar‘s $20.4 million per season. So Minnesota will pay him, but as Guerin said, other factors go into the decision.
Those other factors are Jack Hughes and Luke Hughes in New Jersey. As we all know, former Vancouver Canucks President of Hockey Operations and now senior advisor Jim Rutherford said Quinn Hughes wants to play with his brothers. The eldest Hughes brother wanted out of Vancouver long before Rutherford opened his mouth.
While he may not have requested a trade, the minute Rutherford said what he said, teams called about the then Canucks defenseman. However, that narrative still lingers, even though the brothers aren’t playing into it as much as they did a year ago.
But it remains a narrative, though the brothers aren’t playing into it as much this season as they did last year. They were all about it a year ago. But Quinn and Jack Hughes were on the same USA team that won gold at the 2026 Olympics. Jack Hughes scored the golden goal, giving Team USA its first gold medal in men’s ice hockey since 1980.
So if it doesn’t happen now, it will happen down the road. That is probably the Hughes brothers’ end goal at some point. It makes sense too, given that once Luke Hughes was drafted by the Devils in 2019, the wheels were put in motion.
But as his brother Jack said during the North American Player Tour, Quinn isn’t going to sacrifice what is best for him to play alongside his brothers. And maybe last year was the year to make it happen, and you can chalk it up to a missed opporunity.
However, this will remain a big talking point until Quinn Hughes signs. But neither Bill Guerin nor the player is going to talk about these contract negotiations out loud. That’s probably for the best, given how poorly the Wild handled Kaprizov last season.
But Quinn Hughes signing an extension could set off a domino effect that affects many teams across the NHL. If and when he signs, does that open the door for Dylan Larkin to be traded to the Minnesota Wild? We know Larkin wants to go there, and it’s his first option because of Quinn Hughes.
So if he doesn’t extend, what does that mean for Larkin? If teams like New Jersey are interested in him, but they may be looking at Connor Hellebuyck too, are they waiting to find out whether they need to use assets to acquire Quinn Hughes or keep them for a goalie?
Again, Quinn Hughes is in no rush or pressure to do this. The longer this drags on, the bigger it becomes. But he could drag this out until next summer if he wanted to. Not sure the Minnesota Wild want that. But it is a new era in the NHL where the players have the power.
One thing is clear: if Quinn Hughes knows what he wants to do, he will not discuss it publicly this year. When the time is right, the world will know.
“I’m not going to get into that,” Hughes told the media. “It’s between Billy and me, and ultimately we’ll figure it out, and you guys will find out at that point.”
