The Minnesota Wild entered the 2026 offseason knowing their biggest priority had everything to do with what might happen a year from now.
Star defenseman Quinn Hughes became eligible to sign a contract extension on July 1, having now just one season remaining on his current deal. Hughes is under contract at a $9 million per year through 2031-32, as part of a six-year, $47.1 million deal signed with the Vancouver Canucks in 2021.
Last season, Hughes scored 68 points in 59 games with the Wild after joining the club via trade midway through the season. Overall, Hughes put up 76 points in 74 games between Vancouver and Minnesota.
Before the offseason, the blueliner already said he is "definitely open to re-signing" in Minnesota, but negotiations haven't yielded a long-term deal yet.
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Despite the lack of an agreement so far, head coach John Hynes spoke to The Minnesota Star Tribune and he made it clear he is "very optimistic" that Hughes will stay in Minnesota.
Hynes pointed to both the environment around the organization and Hughes' experience since arriving from Vancouver in December.
“I think he really enjoys Minnesota,” Hynes said. “He enjoys the team. He's got a good relationship with Billy, myself, the coaches, and I think he feels like he's got good teammates.”
Hynes believes that Hughes' time in Minnesota, along with the Wild's success last season in reaching the second round for the first time since 2015, only strengthened Minnesota's case for retaining the defenseman.
“He had very good success,” Hynes said. “Obviously, he's a very good player. But since he's been with us, he's been very successful from an individual standpoint, which has certainly helped our team.”
The Wild know Hughes' next contract could become one of the richest ever signed by a defenseman, particularly with the salary cap continuing to rise and Colorado's Cale Makar also due for a new deal.
According to an NHL agent speaking to ESPN, "The talk on the street right now is it's anywhere between $15 and $20 million a year, depending upon the term."
Still, Hynes feels Minnesota offers the full package and everything Hughes might be looking for.
“So, I feel there's a lot of good things where this is a really attractive place I think for Quinn to want to be,” Hynes said.
