NHL insider Elliotte Friedman shared his contract extension price prediction for Minnesota Wild superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes.
The Wild traded for Hughes in a blockbuster trade with the Vancouver Canucks this past season, knowing he had only one more year left on his current contract at a bargain $7.85 million price tag. The former James Norris Memorial Trophy winner as the NHL’s top defenseman is set to hit free agency next summer, but the Wild are hopeful they can re-sign him to a contract extension before that happens.
The Wild still haven’t inked Hughes to that extension even though he has made it clear he’s interested in re-signing with the team. But while it hasn’t gotten done yet, Friedman still believes it’s in the works, and he has a prediction for the price tag.
Elliotte Friedman Shares Quinn Hughes Contract Extension Prediction
Speaking on NHL Tonight, Friedman shared his prediction for the contract that he thinks Hughes will end up signing with Minnesota.
“I have believed that Hughes is going to sign 3 x $18 million in Minnesota. That is my prediction,” Friedman said, noting that he is not panicked that the extension has not gotten done yet despite it being August.
According to Friedman, one of the roadblocks to signing Hughes right now is that there have been some absolutely massive contracts signed this offseason, namely by Leo Carlsson with the Anaheim Ducks and Macklin Celebrini with the San Jose Sharks.
Those two deals have changed the way that players and agents have looked at what their next contracts will look like, as Carlsson signed for $18 million per season on a five-year deal, while Celebrini got $18.8 million for five years himself, potentially pushing up the asking price for every other player in the league. After seeing those deals, Hughes and his camp surely want to get the most money possible.
Quinn Hughes is a Stud Defenseman
Hughes was drafted with the seventh overall pick by the Canucks in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. Since then, he has played in eight seasons in the league, skating in 507 regular-season games with 66 goals and 485 points, winning the Norris Trophy as the league’s top defenseman in 2024.
But with the Canucks in a rebuilding mode, Hughes asked for a trade out of Vancouver, and he was granted his request when Vancouver sent him to the Wild.
He instantly showed how good of a fit he was in Minnesota, so it’s easy to see why Wild GM Bill Guerin badly wants to sign Hughes to an extension. Plus, the player himself has made it clear that he has enjoyed his time in Minnesota so far and is open to extending his deal, too.
While the deal hasn’t gotten done yet, look for Hughes to extend by the time training camp starts. There is no rush to get anything signed just yet since Hughes is still under contract for next season, but surely the player and team would rather have something done before training camp begins, just to avoid any potential distractions before the Wild’s season begins.
NHL Insider Predicts Quinn Hughes Wild Contract Extension Price