In his end of season media availability today, superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes said he is “definitely open to re-signing” with the Minnesota Wild. (quote via Joe Smith of The Athletic) He also indicated that he would prefer to get a contract signed over the summer, but it isn’t a requirement. Hughes expressed confidence in GM Bill Guerin’s ability to construct a championship-caliber team, and said he likes playing in Minnesota, his teammates, and his interactions with management.
Hughes’ status is the single most important storyline surrounding the Wild, and it will be until he either signs an extension or departs the team in any manner.
Hughes is one of the game’s very best defensemen, and the Wild surrendered a major package of assets including young players, prospects, and draft picks, in order to acquire him, even with less than two years of team control remaining at the time.
With franchise forward Kirill Kaprizov committed on an expensive new contract, the Wild are locked into trying to compete for a Stanley Cup in the immediate future. Re-signing Hughes is essential to maximizing those efforts.
Smith and colleague Michael Russo wrote this morning that “it wouldn’t be a surprise for Hughes to sign a three-year extension this summer,” as such a term would align Hughes’ deal with the expiry of his brother Jack Hughes‘ contract with the New Jersey Devils. Doing so would allow for a timeline where the two older Hughes brothers could decide where to play together – forming a kind of superstar package deal unlike any other in NHL history.
As for what Hughes might be able to earn on his next contract, there really isn’t an upper ceiling on the amount of money he could command. Kaprizov’s AAV of $17MM on his next deal is unlikely to be surpassed, of course, but Hughes has just as strong of a case to earn a market-shattering AAV on his next deal as Kaprizov had. The 2024 Norris Trophy winner earned $7.85MM on his last contract, one he signed in October 2021. With the way the cap is set to rise, Hughes could conceivably push to double his AAV figure on his next deal.
The Wild’s interest in the Hughes family does not appear to stop at the eldest brother. Russo and Smith reported this morning, citing league sources, that Guerin “made a pitch to former Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald” to acquire Luke Hughes this past season.
The youngest Hughes brother, who scored 35 points in 68 games in 2025-26, is under contract at a $9MM AAV through 2031-32. It seems far-fetched that the Wild will be able to unite all three, especially since Jack and Luke already play together. But at the very least they appear positioned to retain Quinn beyond next season, and given the amount Guerin had to surrender to acquire him, that’s a significant win on its own.
Many things can change between now and whenever Hughes might put his signature on an extension with the Wild. That he expressed interest in re-signing today is no guarantee that he actually does so. But after such a disappointing end to their season at the hands of the Colorado Avalanche, Hughes’ comments today should come as a much-needed positive development for fans in Minnesota and the Wild organization overall.
Photos courtesy of Nick Wosika-Imagn Images
$17 mil is mind boggling.
Probably not in a couple/few years.
This sort of talk is meaningless. He just couldn’t possibly say that he is not open to an extension, or even imply that. He has to stay in this organization for the entirety of the next year. It would be like a slap in the face to everybody there.
indeed, most sports interviews are meaningless
Don’t they say something along the lines of ‘we’ll cross that bridge when we get there’
While I generally agree, you can’t listen to most of the specifics of what a player or coach says in an interview. What I will say though, is that you learn more from they choose to say/not to say. In this situation Hughes could have just chosen to give the cookie cutter “Haven’t thought that far ahead/ cross that bridge…/etc” response. So, the fact he chose to say he’s open to an extension means it’s probably true, to what degree is also another story. If he thinks he can get a better deal elsewhere than he probably still walks. I think this at least means he isn’t locked in to playing in NJ or something like that, which the Wild should be thrilled to hear that.
Why do I feel like there’s a “but” after the open to re-signing statement? 🤔
If Quinn Hughes is sincere, Then, He probably won’t reach free agency. Time will tell, It will likely hinge on what the Wild roster looks like next season. After the big 5, It’s a slow, And, Old group.
I think Quinn Hughes will extend with the Minnesota Wild as they have the next couple of years to compete for a Stanley Cup. I know Quinn wants to play with his brothers (or at least either of them anyway at some point) but New Jersey appears to be in that murky middle. If Quinn wants to compete for a Cup, his odds are more favorable in Minnesota rather than New Jersey at this point. I guess time will only tell.
Depending I guess on how much you think Quinn Hughes improves the Devils, he’s got a better path to the Cup in the East than fighting through Colorado and Dallas every season.
Colorado is the sixth-oldest team in the league, and their championship window appears to be closer to closing than remaining open in the long term. In fact, this current playoff run might represent Colorado’s best opportunity to secure another Stanley Cup. In contrast, Dallas is significantly younger, ranking as the seventh-youngest team in the league.
Regarding the notion that the Eastern Conference has better odds, I completely disagree. The competition in the East is far more balanced and challenging compared to the West. Only a few teams from the West would qualify for the playoffs if they were competing in the East. Currently, the Eastern Conference is much more difficult to navigate than the Western Conference, and the statistics support this assessment.
I think the top 3 in the central were better than every team in the East except Carolina. But with Florida returning to health next year it could be a different story
‘their window..’
@baseballpun – Now, you’re talking merely 3 teams lol while I’m talking the entire conference. It’s FAR easier to have to deal with 3 teams than a whole conference. You’re obviously only looking at the surface level on the matter.
Florida doesn’t make it a different story at all. They have no goaltending going into next year as it stands, they’re the 5th oldest team in the league, there is much question marks on their general health & the roster itself going into next year.
Minnesota is going to have to get out of the central in the first two rounds every year. I’m talking about the path to the Stanley Cup. I don’t care what the 4-8 seeds look like in each conference if MN is stuck having to go through 2 powerhouses in the first two rounds every year.
*5-8 seeds
You’ve been ripping Florida all season. You (and Tampa) are headed for a very big disappointment next season.
Please tell us the statistics that support your claim that the EC is more difficult than the WC.
@1 Corinthians 3:7 – You must be a Florida fan, haha. Unless you have extrasensory perception (which you don’t), you have no way of knowing what will happen next season. It’s amusing that you think otherwise.
@Dog – If you believe I’m wrong, why not provide evidence to prove it? Instead, you resort to criticism and insults without offering any thoughtful perspective of your own. Engaging with you is generally a waste of time.
@baseballpun – You’re presuming that Colorado and Dallas will remain dominant, but there’s no guarantee of that. What transpired for both teams this season won’t necessarily translate to the next, as numerous factors could come into play. Both teams face substantial uncertainties heading into next season as well.
P.S. You also argued that Colorado, Dallas, and Minnesota are better than all the Eastern Conference teams except Carolina. However, this claim is factually incorrect, as the cross-conference standings indicate otherwise for starters.
ThunderFeeler: Don’t get defensive. At no point did I state that I thought you are wrong nor did I type anything insulting. In an earlier post you typed “statistics support this assessment” that the EC is a tougher run than is the WC. I simply asked you for the statistics that would back up this claim. I would be interested in seeing them.
Weird comment. Before Hughes trade MIN was in the murky middle. He joined MIN and the exited the murky middle. If he joined NJD they do the same.
Except the Wild have better goaltending and depth in net.
That’s the difference. The only reason the Devils looked like they turned a corner was because they got a Cinderella season from Vanacek. It’s been a trainwreck since.
Quinn is staying here in Minny They will either have Matthews or Jack Hughes here next year Billy G loves his American boys
Auston Matthews is not going to agree to a trade to the Wild 😂
How do you know this? Inside information or guessing?
Hoping he gets away from Minnesota. Far away
billy G made a play for Luke Hughes this past season Quinn is going nowhere Get over it
“forming a kind of superstar package deal unlike any other in NHL history”
(coughs) Henrik and Daniel Sedin? Maurice and Henri Richard? Bill and Bun Cook? Doug and Max Bentley? Gordie and Mark Howe? Frank and Pete Mahovlich? Bobby and Dennis Hull? Damn, man.
Now that I’ve had the chance to think, Lionel and Roy Conacher were another HHOF pair who played on the same team. Got to think that Peter, Anton and Marian Stastny deserve a shoutout too: while Anton isn’t in the Hall, he had better numbers than Jack Hughes does.
I think he means available together during FA. But if we are going carte blanche we should also include the neidermayers who handed Anaheim a cup on a plate
If so, FA would include the Cooks, the Bentleys, the Richards — all pre-draft — as well as the Howes (both signed with the Aeros and the Whalers) and the Stastnys.
Author might be young, who knows
Sure. But it’s a pet peeve of mine: anything referring to the whole of “NHL history” or “Greatest X of All! Time!” that REALLY means “… that the author/compiler personally saw/could gank YouTube clips for” or “… in the expansion era/post-WHA merger/post-lockout, because it’s all I know about.” (Not that the Sedins qualify as prehistoric by any measure; they retired only eight years ago.)
And freaking hell, it isn’t that hard to do your homework, especially when you’re getting paid for it. I never saw the Cooks or the Bentleys or the Conachers play. I was an infant in Maurice Richard’s last season. Anyone can be knowledgeable in hockey history, and for those who aren’t, then they can qualify their superlatives.
I agree completely dude – junk media is all about superlatives. I find it kinda sad because it kinda cheapens genuinely amazing achievements. They drop this sort of shocking language for no reason all the time – it’s lazy.
Colorado, Dallas, Winnipeg, St Louis, and an upstart young Utah team will still make it very difficult to win a championship. Throw in a very deeply talented Vegas team along with the young nucleus in Anaheim and the consistent pressure of beating Drisaitl and McDavid in Edmonton you’ve got a LOT of superstar rosters and perennial postseason contenders to battle through every year in the Western Conference and Central divisions.
Teams must beat other good teams to win a championship? Thanks.
I’m really writing on the editors thoughts that he’d have a better chance to compete for championships in the Central then the East. I tend to disagree with this notion that Colorado won’t be Stanley Cup Contenders much longer and their window is closing. MacKinnon has at least 6+ seasons ahead, Makar 10+ barring anything significant, Necas 8+ years – that nucleus is stil relatively young, even if they’re in their early 30’s now.