It’s time for another edition of NHL rumours. Play at the Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina has started. However, general managers are still thinking about the future. The March 6 trade deadline is the foremost thing on their mind. However, the upcoming free agent period on July 1 will be upon us. Contracts and numbers will soon be swimming through the heads up of general managers.
One team that has to figure things out with a key new acquisition is the Minnesota Wild. This edition of NHL rumours deals with what the next contract may look like for a star defenceman.
All NHL rumours come from the original source and are subject to change.
NHL Rumours
What Could a Quinn Hughes Contract Look Like for the Minnesota Wild?
Rumour: Michael Russo and Joe Smith of The Athletic speculated on what the next deal may look like for defenceman Quinn Hughes, who is an unrestricted free agent after the end of the 2027-28 season.
Analysis: Wild general manager Bill Guerin took a massive swing by getting Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks earlier this season. Minnesota has designs at making a deep run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and Hughes seems to be a massive part of that.
Adding the talented defenceman gives the Wild a deep defensive group with Brock Faber, Jared Spurgeon, and Jonas Brodin. Minnesota has a strong lineup with Kirill Kaprizov, but Guerin would like to lock down the elder Hughes brother to a new deal.
Both sides can’t sign a new deal until July 1, when Hughes enters the final year of his contract. That day could open up a world of possibilities for Hughes and the Wild as they enter the final year of pivotal contract talks.
What It Means
Hughes currently makes $7.85 million per season, but he’ll be in line for a massive raise. The new world of the rising salary cap will give Guerin hope that he can take care of the Hughes deal without having to sweat too much.
However, one thing that is always a factor is the other Hughes brothers on the New Jersey Devils. Both Jack Hughes and Luke Hughes are on the Devils and there’s always the temptation of getting a chance to play together. This family bond may play a factor into what the elder Hughes may do.
Russo and Smith point out that Quinn could sign a three-year deal to line up with the end of Jack’s contract at the end of the 2029-30 season. Luke’s deal finished up at the end of the 2031-32 campaign. The Athletic writers mention that the three-year deal could be a possibility. However, there’s still a chance that he could extend his deal for eight years.
Under the current collective bargaining agreement, this is the last time that a player can sign an eight-year deal. New contracts only be of a maximum of seven years and the wild could use that fact to their advantage. However, there are plenty of unknowns heading into the offseason with Minnesota’s high-flying blueliner.
Main photo by: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images