Contract talk around Quinn Hughes and the Minnesota Wild was very quiet for most of the summer, and that subsequently has led to increased buzz regarding the situation as we’ve moved into August.
Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman has long believed that Hughes would sign a three-year contract extension with the Wild, however, he also believed it would have been done by now.
While he’s not ready to panic when it comes to Hughes staying in Minnesota just yet, he did reveal on Friday when it would become time to worry.
“I’ll say this, I will worry about this if it’s not done by the start of the season, that’s just my personal feeling. If it’s not done by the start of the season, then I’ll start to say, hey, what’s going on here? I really think in a lot of cases these things get done when there’s a sense of urgency. Like I said, I thought it would’ve been done by now, I’ll admit I’m surprised. I just think that if we go into the season and it’s not done, that’s when I’m really going to start to say, OK, like what’s happening here?”
The 26-year-old Hughes is set to enter the sixth and final year of the six-year, $47.1 million contract extension he originally signed with the Canucks back in 2021 next season (2026-27). He racked up 76 points (seven goals, 69 assists) in 74 games split between Vancouver and Minnesota last season.
Hughes’ future has been a topic of discussion for years now, and until he signs an extension, there will always be the lingering thought that he’s going to find a way to get to New Jersey and play with brothers Jack and Luke.
That’s inevitably going to happen at some point in his career. The question now is just how soon that time will come. It had long felt like it wouldn’t be for several more years, but as this situation drags on with no resolution, the likelihood of it coming to fruition much sooner becomes increasingly possible.
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