The ongoing saga that is the Quinn Hughes contract extension with the Minnesota Wild has seemingly hit a standstill with training camp right around the corner.
Despite all the chatter swirling around over the summer, very little actual news has hit the airwaves.
Well, now there’s a mixed bag of an update from a notable insider.
During an appearance on NHL Tonight, insider Elliotte Friedman discussed the latest news on Minnesota’s number-one defenseman. In the appearance, Friedman backtracked on an earlier prediction regarding the number and term Hughes would come in.
“My prediction, I said it at the beginning of the summer, was that Hughes would sign for three times 18. Well, that was before Carlsson’s deal, and that was before Makar’s deal.”
Friedman doubled down on that in an August 6 appearance on NHL Network.
It seems that now, the situation has changed somewhat. Now, Friedman speculates that Quinn Hughes could be looking at a similar cap hit as Cale Makar, that is, around or even over $20 million AAV.
“Would any of us be surprised if the number was right around 20? I don’t think any of us would.”
Friedman then added a bit of a weird comment, highlighting how the Wild have a unique advantage in keeping Hughes.
“I think the thing that helps Minnesota here, is I’m not convinced Hughes wants term; I don’t think Hughes wants long term, and I think that will help Minnesota deal with this in the next couple of years.”
Friedman concluded by declaring a timeline for negotiations to resume.
“I do think the Wild and Hughes are going to be meeting soon.”
📺: NHL Tonight on NHL Network
So, there are a couple of things to unpack here.
Wild Could Be Looking to Kick the Can Down the Road
The only reasonable way that a short-term deal helps the Wild keep Quinn Hughes is if Hughes is willing to take a slightly lower cap hit and figure things out later. The prevailing chatter has been that Hughes wants to line up his next contract with the expiration of his brother Jack’s contract.
Jack Hughes is under contract with the New Jersey Devils for four more seasons. So, the calculus is a three-year deal for Quinn so they can both line up as UFAs in the summer of 2030.
If that’s the case, Friedman’s point about Matt Boldy’s contract helping the Wild keep Quinn Hughes makes sense.
However, things could blow up for the Wild precisely in 2030, when both Boldy and Hughes would become UFAs.
What to read next:
Wild Would Rather Sign Quinn Hughes Long-Term
Like the Colorado Avalanche, the Minnesota Wild would prefer to keep Quinn Hughes long-term. And they would prefer to sign him to an eight-year deal now, before the September 15 deadline kicks in.
Friedman rightfully pointed out that the Wild want Hughes, and if there’s an opportunity to sign him for the long haul, why not take it?
That’s why the idea of the Wild being comfortable with a short-term deal doesn’t really hold water. Yes, Minnesota will take a short-term deal, especially if they don’t really have any other choice. But the bottom line is that the Wild would rather lock up Quinn Hughes so that his deal resembles more Kirill Kaprizov’s.
Whatever the outcome, there’s one thing clear: GM Bill Guerin has to go for it. The clock is ticking, and he can’t afford to let the franchise’s best opportunity at a championship slip away.
Quinn Hughes Latest Contract Update Delivers Mixed News