The Minnesota Wild are still trying to get something done with Quinn Hughes, but the finish line isn’t in sight yet.
According to Joe Smith of The Athletic, league sources say the Wild and Hughes’ camp continue to work on a contract extension, though a deal is not imminent. Minnesota wants to make it happen, and the expectation is that this won’t spill into September. A three-year agreement is one possibility, with the price tag projected in the $16 million to $18 million range.
The Dylan Larkin situation, meanwhile, has gone quiet. The Wild put an offer on the table, but it clearly wasn’t enough. Nick Kypreos reported that the Red Wings wanted Matt Boldy, and that’s a steep ask the Wild don’t appear eager to meet.
For now, Minnesota looks mostly finished in free agency. One name that could still surface is Patrick Kane, but only if things don’t work out with the Chicago Blackhawks and Buffalo Sabres.
The bigger trade puzzle involves Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck, and the list of possible landing spots has already produced some near misses.
Murat Ates and Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic report that Hellebuyck has five years left on his deal at an $8.5 million cap hit. The Jets turned down a Carolina Hurricanes package that included Alexander Nikishin and a first-round pick, and they also passed on a Florida Panthers offer that did not include Anton Lundell.
Winnipeg and Buffalo came close at the draft, too, but the Jets were unwilling to part with the No. 8 pick, which they used on Viggo Bjorck.
The Sabres still have just over $4 million in cap space and haven’t done much this offseason, which keeps the door cracked open on a deal. One possible framework would involve Ukka-Pekka Luukkonen and Josh Norris, who now has trade protection. Winnipeg would likely want a goalie such as Luukkonen or Alex Lyon to pair with Stuart Skinner, plus a first-round pick and a prospect like Konsta Helenius or Radim Mrtka.
There are also names Buffalo would probably resist moving. The Jets would love a swing at Zach Benson or Josh Doan, both of whom have Winnipeg ties, but that would be a major win for Winnipeg. Center Ryan McLeod would make sense as a target, while Jack Quinn and Peyton Krebs also carry some appeal.
On Buffalo’s side, the reluctance is obvious. The Sabres likely don’t want to include Benson, Doan, Noah Östlund, Helenius or Jiri Kulich.
McLeod would be painful to move, but he’d be part of the cost of landing a top goalie. Buffalo is deep in young right-handed defensemen, which could make Mrtka expendable, and Maxim Strbak and Adam Kleber are recent second-round picks.
A 2027 first-rounder could also be in play, especially after the Sabres made two first-round selections last month.
At this point, the Jets may be running out of paths if they want to move Hellebuyck. They can wait and see whether another team eventually steps forward.
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