Quinn Hughes’ situation with the Minnesota Wild is starting to look messy in a way the Mikko Rantanen saga never quite did, and Elliotte Friedman says there’s one major reason the comparison only goes so far.
In his latest 32 Thoughts column, Friedman said he isn’t sure what to make of where things stand with Hughes. He laid out the same basic uncertainty everyone else is staring at: Hughes could sign with the Wild, or he could wait it out and head to free agency.
From Friedman’s view, Minnesota may not have a clear read on it either. He believes Hughes is focused on playing as well as he can, but the longer this drags on, the more it feels like he may not be extending.
That uncertainty is why some around the league have drawn a line between Hughes and Rantanen. The Carolina Hurricanes took a big swing on Rantanen, missed, and then flipped him for a package that helped them win a Stanley Cup.
It was the kind of aggressive pivot teams point to when they want to justify bold decisions. The question now is whether Minnesota could do something similar with Hughes.
Friedman said Carolina recognized it couldn’t keep waiting and moved Rantanen to the Dallas Stars for a nice haul. Minnesota, he suggested, might eventually face the same crossroads: push ahead with Hughes or move him for pieces that help keep the team competitive.
He pointed out that the Wild have never reached a Stanley Cup Final, have only made one Conference Final, and have just one playoff-round win in the last 12 seasons - that coming last season with Hughes in the lineup. The implication was clear: when will Minnesota have a better chance?
But there’s a flip side, too. If Hughes leaves and the Wild don’t end up winning, the decision will look foolish. Friedman said that was a risk Carolina was unwilling to take.
Still, the Rantanen comparison breaks down at a crucial point. Friedman noted that the gap between Hughes and what Minnesota might get back in a trade is much wider than the one between Rantanen and Logan Stankoven. And that matters.
The key difference, Friedman said, is that Rantanen gave Carolina a list of teams he would extend with, which helped create a market. Friedman wrote:
“Someone made another good point: Rantanen gave the Hurricanes teams he would extend with, allowing market creation. As promised, he immediately signed in Dallas.
Hughes has shown no inclination of doing that. He has been up-front and honest, making no guarantees.”
That leaves Minnesota in a tricky spot. The Wild may have to consider a trade, but any team serious about paying the price for Hughes would also be taking on the risk that he could walk away anyway.
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