Update On Quinn Hughes Contract Negotiations

The conversation keeps rolling in Minnesota.

That is, the one that the Wild are having with Quinn Hughes regarding his next contract, which, according to Michael Russo of The Athletic, is still ongoing with Hughes’ agent Pat Brisson on a regular basis. This discussion, which has loomed since Minnesota traded key young pieces like Marco Rossi, Zeev Buium, and other assets to acquire him, will continue to be a headline waiting to take shape at some point this offseason.

The 26-year-old has a year left on the six-year, $47.1MM deal he signed with the Vancouver Canucks in 2021. He ended this past season with 76 points, 53 of those with Minnesota in 48 games, adding 15 points in 11 playoff games. On July 1, he became eligible for an extension, and Minnesota wants to ensure it can re-up its superstar defenseman before the 2026 season begins. This way, the Wild can avoid any distractions, including the impending fan anxiety that will come with the lack of an extension in place.

As that coach in Moneyball once said, ‘it’s hard to do what I do under the cloud of a one-year contract.’

That will be the case for all parties in Minnesota, the team is looking to get over a hill it hasn’t been able to since the 2002-03 season, the Western Conference Finals. Back-to-back 45+ win campaigns under the leadership of John Hynes, who is set to be extended, along with their head-on approach to acquiring talent, only see an upward trajectory for this team to get back to that triumph and possibly further.

It was previously reported by Russo that the Wild were looking to sign Hughes within a 5-8 year range. If Minnesota can manage that maximum eight years, it would be integral, considering that length won’t be allowed past Sept. 16, when the new CBA kicks in, where the maximum term allowed to sign is 7 years.

But Quinn could also opt for shorter than what the Wild want, say a 3-4 year deal. There has been a lot of speculation on the unification of the Hughes brothers since each has entered the NHL. Luke and Jack Hughes are already New Jersey Devils, and Quinn may look at the contract of Jack, who is signed for three more years in New Jersey, and try to match his unrestricted free agency status in 2030.

Russo shot down any rumors regarding a potential trade to the Devils, or any team for that matter. So for now, the focus remains on the contract.

It should also be noted that of the largest contracts signed this offseason, nearly half of the top ten highest cap hits will last for five years or less. A trend that is likely to continue thanks to the mayhem this offseason presented with the Leo Carlsson ($18MM) offer sheet, and has been followed with other short-term contracts like Connor Bedard ($15MM AAV) and Macklin Celebrini ($18.8MM AAV).

There’s no doubt that the salary will be among the NHL’s best, especially with top defenseman counterpart Cale Makar due for his next contract. Hughes could wait until his superstar colleague signs to see what money he’d want, but the AAV will surpass that of Bowen Byram‘s annual $12.5MM paycheck, inked with the Blackhawks. Chicago paying 11% of the team cap hit for Byram will not be as much as what Quinn’s first year could look like.

By how much? Well, since 2020, among defensemen, only Makar and Hughes have surpassed the 90-point mark per 82 games three times in that span, with Makar nearly having four if not for 90 points/82 games in 2022-23. So could we see $20MM for either one? Depending on how things progress, it isn’t unlikely given the pedigree that both blueliners have built for themselves and the rarity that a blueliner of their caliber is within an organization’s lineup sheet.

Nonetheless, Minnesota has money to do this, almost $46MM in cap space for 2027-28, enough where if they pay Hughes what is speculated, that is still around $26MM, they can use to figure out what to do with the expiring contracts of Ryan Hartman, Blake Coleman, captain Jared Spurgeon, and standout young goaltender Jesper Wallstedt.