Unexpected Quinn Hughes Scenario Emerges Amid Wild Contract Stalemate

The Minnesota Wild’s uncertainty over Quinn Hughes has fueled speculation that the defenseman could eventually leave to join his brothers playing for the New Jersey Devils

NHL reporter Frank Seravalli, however, has raised a very different possibility not widely discussed up to this point.

Speaking with John Buccigross on “Frankly Hockey,” Seravalli questioned whether the long-held assumption that Quinn will eventually join Jack and Luke Hughes with the Devils should still be considered the obvious outcome.

“What’s going on in New Jersey?” Seravalli said. “Like, maybe that’s a real possibility that — we’ve kind of always made this grand assumption: ‘Well, Quinn will eventually become a free agent and just go sign in New Jersey because Jack and Luke are there.’ What if New Jersey isn’t the place either? And then, all three of them go bolt to, I don’t know, pick a place.”

That Seravalli take opened another theoretical route for the brothers to reunite, which Buccigross was quick to point out: Quinn staying in Minnesota while Jack eventually becomes the Hughes brother who moves.

Quinn is playing the final season of his six-year, $47.8 million contract with the Wild and has not yet signed an extension. The defenseman became eligible for a new deal July 1, but he has yet to commit his long-term future to Minnesota.

Jack, meanwhile, remains under contract with New Jersey through the 2029-30 season. Seravalli’s comments did not amount to a report that the Devils are shopping him or that Minnesota is actively pursuing a trade, but they challenged the direction of the speculation surrounding the family.

The usual theory has centered on Quinn eventually reaching free agency and moving east to play alongside Jack and Luke. Seravalli suggested New Jersey’s situation could make the reverse path worth considering.

The Devils have started the season with a 3-3-0 record while Minnesota sits at 4-2-1 through seven games. Both teams will face each other for the first time on Feb. 28 before a rematch takes place on Mar. 31.