The Minnesota Wild are still trying to get Quinn Hughes under contract, but the situation sounds anything but simple.
GM Bill Guerin has confirmed that extension talks are ongoing with Hughes and his camp, yet the noise around the negotiation keeps pointing to complications. Hughes is 26 and heading into the final year of his deal, which puts real urgency on Minnesota’s side. The Wild would like to land him on a long-term agreement in the five-to-eight-year range, but there’s chatter that Hughes may be more interested in something shorter.
One of the biggest questions hanging over the talks is whether Hughes wants to line up his next deal with his brother, Jack Hughes, of the New Jersey Devils. If the conversation drags out, New Jersey could become a serious threat to pry him away, and Minnesota may eventually have to think about a trade. For now, though, the clock is ticking, and the longer this goes, the more pressure sits on the Wild to finish the job.
There’s also another layer to the Wild’s situation: they still haven’t added the center they want. That need remains high on their list, and if they can’t solve it, the question becomes whether Hughes is willing to wait on a team that may not be as competitive as it wants to be.
In Edmonton, the Oilers may still be open to roster changes, but don’t expect them to go the professional tryout route in any big way.
A number of notable unsigned names remain out there, including Patrik Laine and Vladimir Tarasenko, but the sense around the Oilers is that they’re unlikely to load up on PTOs this offseason. Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal put it this way: “with only four exhibition games rather than normal eight for Oilers and vets having to play two games minimum I just don’t see many PTO’s if at all. Have to look at prospects too.”
That shorter exhibition slate matters. With fewer chances to evaluate veterans in game action, Edmonton has less incentive to bring in a long list of camp invites when it also needs to sort through its own prospects.
Detroit’s Dylan Larkin situation remains stuck in neutral as well, and the Red Wings’ search for a new general manager is a big reason why.
It has been two months since reports said Larkin requested a trade, but there still hasn’t been much movement toward a resolution. Helene St.
James of The Detroit Free Press reported that the club’s ownership brought in a search firm to help determine who will replace Steve Yzerman. As she wrote:
“A person with knowledge of the Red Wings’ search process told the Free Press that Ilitch hired a search firm to help determine who should replace Steve Yzerman. Yzerman served as Wings general manager from April 19, 2019-July 15, 2026, when it was announced he would transition to a role as a senior advisor.”
Until that GM search is finished, any Larkin trade appears to be on pause. Minnesota had been mentioned as a possible landing spot, but trade talks have reportedly stalled because of Detroit’s asking price. The Red Wings are looking for an established NHL player in return, and Matt Boldy was previously floated as a target - a name Minnesota has no interest in moving.
In Toronto, there’s at least some encouraging news on Auston Matthews.
The Maple Leafs captain has been skating and shooting in Switzerland as he continues recovering from a serious knee injury. Matthews is coming back from a Grade 3 MCL tear and quad contusion after surgery months ago, and this latest step suggests he’s making steady progress. The bigger question now is whether he’ll be fully ready when training camp opens.
In Other News...
Steve Yzerman's Detroit Run Looks Different After New Rebuild Debate
Steve Yzermans front-office reputation was built in Tampa Bay, where he assembled a contender through patient drafting and development before coming to Detroit with the same blueprint in mind. Seven years into his run with the Red Wings, though, the results have not matched the model. Detroit still has not reached the playoffs under his watch, and the frustration has spilled beyond the standings, with Dylan Larkin even requesting a trade at one point.
Now the bigger question around the rebuild is not just what Yzerman wanted to do, but what he was actually allowed to do. Reports from the Detroit Free Press suggest some of his roster plans may have met resistance higher up the chain, adding another layer to a tenure that has already been judged harshly by fans looking for progress. In a market that has waited a long time for a turnaround, the debate over who deserves the blame is only getting more complicated. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Still Have One Big Danielson Question At Center
Nate Danielsons first extended look with the Red Wings last season offered a little of everything the organization likes about its 2023 first-round pick. In 28 NHL games, he showed the defensive awareness, hockey sense and skating ability that have made him easy to trust in different situations, even as the offense came in small doses. Detroit has been encouraged enough by the way he handles the details of the position to believe he is on a steady path toward becoming a regular center.
The bigger question, though, is whether Danielson can turn that reliability into more consistent production as he keeps climbing. The Red Wings are still sorting out how much more offense is coming and how much of his development has been slowed by injury concerns, which have also factored into the evaluation process. For now, the appeal is clear enough, but the unanswered part is what kind of ceiling he can ultimately reach in Detroits middle. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Face A Dylan Larkin Decision That Could Change Everything
The Red Wings are still without a named general manager, but the franchises next major choice may be the most consequential one on the table. Dylan Larkin remains the captain and the face of the roster, yet reports have them weighing whether to move him as part of a broader reset, a type of decision that would reshape how the club thinks about its timeline and the kind of players it wants to build around.
If Detroit does go down that road, the ripple effects would likely reach well beyond one trade. The idea would be to lean harder into youth and development, giving younger forwards a chance to take on bigger responsibilities while the organization continues searching for its next direction. It is the same sort of tension that has shown up elsewhere in the city, where the line between trying to win now and planning for what comes next has started to blur. [Read more 🡒]