As the dog days of the offseason have hit in August, one of the storylines the hockey world is watching is the situation surrounding defenseman Quinn Hughes and the Minnesota Wild. The eldest Hughes brother has been extension-eligible since July 1st, but he has not signed an extension with the Wild yet.
He isn’t the only extension-eligible player who hasn’t signed yet. Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche have yet to extend with their respective clubs, but because it is Quinn Hughes and who his brothers are, this is getting more attention.
Everyone Needs To Pump The Brakes on Quinn Hughes to the Devils Talk
While there is a belief that an extension can still get done between the two parties, the New Jersey Devils are keeping a close eye on the situation. The connection between Quinn Hughes and the Devils goes back two seasons now.
At the end of the 2025 season, former Vancouver Canucks President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford opened his mouth and created a firestorm when he stated that “Quinn Hughes would like to play with his brothers.” For those not paying attention, Quinn Hughes’ brothers are New Jersey Devils players Jack Hughes and Luke Hughes.
So before Rutherford opened his mouth, it was one of the worst-kept secrets in the NHL. The Canucks knew during the 2024 season that the eldest Hughes brother was not staying in Vancouver. The rumblings became louder last season when Quinn and Jack were very public about the idea of playing together.
There was a verbal agreement, it seems, between the Devils and Canucks for the two teams to make a trade involving Quinn Hughes. The exchange was going to take place on the weekend of December 13-14 when Vancouver visited New Jersey. If you recall, Quinn Hughes had his stuff in his brother’s car and had to get it as the Minnesota Wild came in to make an offer the Canucks couldn’t refuse to get him.
You knew there was a little disappointment from Quinn that he wasn’t traded to the Devils. As much as his brothers publicly were behind his decision, they wanted him in New Jersey. The dynamic of the room would have been so different. But as the hockey world saw, Quinn Hughes became one of the Wild’s best players and was the difference-maker they needed to get out of the first round of the playoffs.
Could Quinn Hughes Actually Come to New Jersey and Play with His Brothers?
So many assumed that Quinn was going to sign right away when he was eligible on July 1st, given how he praised Wild GM Bill Guerin for having what it took to trade for him. Not to mention his ties to Guerin, as part of the Team USA roster that won gold at the 2026 Olympics. The defenseman was saying all the right things at the end of the season about being open to an extension with the club, but it came down to what the team wants to do and what he wants to do.
Given Quinn Hughes is an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2027, he could wait to sign a new deal and just play out the season. That is not ideal for the Wild. But if his mind is made up to play with his brothers, then the New Jersey Devils hold all the leverage in terms of what a trade could look like.
The Wild will not get back what they gave up for the player, say a trade did happen during the season. So ideally, it would be great to have an extension in place before training camp or during training camp so the story goes away, which it won’t if he is unsigned.
The prediction from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman has always been three years at $18 million a season. Wild owner Craig Leipold believes an extension will get done. Leipold tipped his hand a bit, saying the team would like a five- to eight-year deal, while the player is looking for a three-year deal.
NHL Rumors: Where Things Stand with Quinn Hughes and the Minnesota Wild
However, GM Bill Guerin is playing it closer to the vest than he did with Kirill Kaprizov a year ago, when he basically said, “We will give him a blank check.”
However, it is an ever-changing landscape with player salaries going up. Wild GM and former Devils player Bill Guerin reset the market last year, giving Kaprizov $17 million a season. That only went up with Leo Carlsson‘s AAV of $18 million and Macklin Celebrini‘s AAV of $18.8 million.
With Quinn Hughes being ranked the second-best defenseman behind Cale Makar by NHL Network, it makes sense he could ask for an AAV of $19 million or $20 million. So the market will determine his next contract and who will blink first between the two best defensemen in the NHL.
Several Factors Playing a Role in Quinn Hughes Negotiations in Minnesota
Given that a three-year deal remains a prevailing theory, it aligns with when Jack Hughes is a potential free agent in 2031. Jack has four years left remaining on an eight-year deal he signed at $8 million a season. Luke Hughes is entering the second season of a seven-year deal at $9 million a season he signed last year.
Again, there is still time for the Wild to get a deal done. Kaprizov didn’t sign his deal until September 30th, 2025. But if Quinn Hughes doesn’t have a deal in place by opening night, the speculation about an all-brotherly affair in New Jersey will grow.
