The Minnesota Wild may have pretty much lost any leverage they had in contract talks with impending UFA Quinn Hughes.
The former Norris Trophy winner made it clear that he’s in no rush to re-sign with the Wild. And that situation has effectively put the kibosh on any extension talks happening before the beginning of the season.
In fact, it may dash any hopes of an extension getting done before the end of the 2026-27 season.
Speaking to the media during the NHL/NHLPA North American Player Media Tour on Wednesday, Hughes made it clear that he’s in no rush to make something happen soon.
“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. 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.”
Hughes drilled down on the matter, stating that his focus has been on enjoying his summer and resetting ahead of this season.
So, what does all of this mean for the Wild?
In short, a new contract seems something further down the road. But it also implies something much more troubling for Minnesota.
Hughes Unsure About Future with Wild
At the core of the matter is a clear lack of certitude for Hughes regarding the path the Minnesota Wild are on.
Last spring’s second-round playoff exit likely sowed enough doubt in Hughes about the club’s future. And that doubt may be just enough to prompt him to question whether signing long-term really is the best move for him.
That’s why the pressure really is on for the Wild to show Hughes that they are committed to long-term success. If that’s really the attitude, Minnesota will need to prove they’re ready to do whatever it takes to win a Stanley Cup.
Hence, Hughes won’t likely consider re-signing until after the season.
Winning a Stanley Cup won’t actually guarantee that Quinn Hughes stays. In fact, he may well take his Cup and sign elsewhere as a free agent.
If the Wild flame out again in the playoffs, Hughes will seek greener pastures.
Either way, it seems like Hughes is as good as gone. If he really wanted to stay, wouldn’t he have at least had some sort of preliminary discussion with the Wild this summer?
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Cale Makar the Other Major Factor in Potential Extension
The other major factor stalling talks between Hughes and the Wild is Cale Makar. Makar’s $20 million AAV had to be the worst thing Minnesota could have hoped for. GM Bill Guerin knew that was a real possibility. And if it came to fruition the way it did, it would make it extremely difficult for Minnesota to match that type of contract.
While the Wild have a little over $1 million in cap space this season, PuckPedia projects Minnesota could have as much as $46 million next season.
That projection, however, does not take Quinn Hughes’ cap hit into account. Assuming $20 million-ish, that’s about half of the cap space Minnesota would have allocated for next season. And yes, the Wild will have several contracts to worry about. They’ll need to extend goalie Jesper Wallstedt, captain Jared Spurgeon will be up, and the club will need to round out the roster with about another half-dozen forwards.
Suddenly, $20 million or so in cap space just won’t get it done.
Let’s see what happens. But judging from Hughes’ comments, the Wild will be auditioning to keep him. If they can’t pass, New Jersey Devils fans could stand to benefit the most.
Wild May Have Already Lost Control of Quinn Hughes Contract Talk