During his comments at the end of the season two months agoMinnesota Quinn Hughes suggested he was “definitely open to re-signing” with the Wild and, if so, would prefer to work on something over the summer. That time has come.
An opportunity for players to hold final press conferences before leaving for the offseason. Such discussions do not always carry the most weight; Exhibit Creature Brady Tkachuk stopping trade rumors just to be heading to Florida approximately 53 days later. However, let’s return to the present, to Hughes, David Pagnotta from The Fourth Period. reported Yesterday on Hello Hockey, he and the Wild “hit the mark” on an extension with an AAV of at least $17 million, if not higher.
Pagnotta’s side comment on Hughes, while he’s primarily discussing NHL salary increases in general, there’s definitely still uncertainty and work to be done, but it’s at least encouraging for Minnesota fans. It was considered a huge gamble to buy a superstar for about a year and a half before he faced the real chance of wasting him, possibly a general manager. Bill GuerinHis all-in mentality did enough to get the win over Hughes.
Not that there was any doubt, but Hughes fit in perfectly with the Wild, greatly improving their backcourt play. Ranked among the clubs lowest in defensemen, bringing in a left-hander who averaged over 27 minutes per night and 53 points in 48 games has worked wonders in that regard. He led the entire NHL in ice time per game, a minute ahead of the second-place player. Zach Werenski. Hughes franked fifth among defensemen in points (76 points combined between Vancouver and Minnesota), 33rd among NHL skaters, which is interesting. one place behind his brother Jack.
Speaking of his brother and sister, some parties in the Northeast were hopeful, if not optimistic, that Quinn would become a free agent and head to New Jersey, teaming up with Jack and their brother. Luke for a trio capable of making an impact the league has never seen before. This is easier said than done, however, as the Devils currently offer $6 million more cap space than the Wild, but to hypothetically match Hughes’ free agent value, they would have to give up a contract like Dougie Hamiltonthat’s $9 million. Another team where electric skate defensemen won’t be the last thing, New Jersey will spend less than 4% of its cap space on goaltenders next season. As funny as it may seem, the ball is firmly in Minnesota’s court and we have plenty of time to figure something out.
Assuming that the Newark family reunion isn’t meant to be, and that at some point soon Hughes will re-sign for another record-breaking contract in Minnesota, it’s interesting to look at the rest of their roster. With the 2026-27 salary cap set at $104 million, it’s realistic to predict another raise next season of as much as $8.5 million, but based on current numbers that would mean paying $17 million to Hughes and Kirill Kaprizov will amount to almost 33% of their total salary. Even the Oilers boasting Connor McDavid And Leon Draisaitlshell out that much for its two stars, as the duo is set to run through 2027-28, with a combined cap hit of $26.50 million. Their abilities hardly require further analysis, but in any case, McDavid and Draisaitl combined for 235 points in 147 games last year, with the Oilers totaling 282 goals. To justify paying Kaprizov and Hughes above that level, they would need to be the best in the NHL.
This time next year, if Guerin secures at least $10 million for Hughes, he will have limited cap space for other players. Captain Jared Spurgeonthe club’s longest-tenured player and annual Lady Byng vote-getter will expire after the 2026–27 season due to the current $7.58 million cap hit, and Ryan Hartman And Blake Coleman. It remains to be seen what the roster will look like by next July, but it’s safe to assume that at least 4-5 of the bottom six forwards should be filled, and that’s not even counting their larger needs. For a team that was considered to require an upgrade in the middle to break into the Western Conference, it’s hard to imagine where Guerin would fit in with someone like Dylan Larkin and his $8.7 million ticket. The Wild network has made a long-term commitment Philip Gustafssonwith an outstanding 23 year old guy Jesper Wallstedt currently a luxury worth $2.2 million. It’s almost a foregone conclusion that one of the team’s two great goaltenders will have to leave the ice to take over the center ice position and also open up space for Hughes to extend. With all of these items coming in the future, Minnesota has already dealt with the loss of a key veteran. Mats Zuccarelloprobably end up the same with Vladimir TarasenkoGuerin will have to get seriously creative to build a supporting cast on team-friendly contracts like the 38-year-old. Nick Foligno900 thousand dollars for the upcoming season.
While in no way an attempt to criticize Guerin, the NHL’s best general manager in 2025-26, who has raised the bar in Minnesota and brought the most exciting times for the franchise, their No. 1 job of arresting Hughes will present a new set of problems to follow. His attempts to be as aggressive as possible are commendable, but at some point there is concern about what to do with the rest of Minnesota’s roster. Moreover, recent history shows that teams with strong rosters lack the ability to comfortably make the playoffs and win the Stanley Cup. However, Guerin and his Wild would rather try to prove that than the possibility of a world-class defenseman leaving after a short stop in St. Paul.
Image credit: Nick Vosica-Imagn Images