Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin says the team is giving Quinn Hughes room to work through one of the biggest calls of his career.
Speaking on TNT during the Wild’s preseason game Friday, Guerin said the club is not rushing the star defenseman as he weighs his future.
“Like I've said before, like with Kirill (Kaprizov) last year, Quinn this year, these are big decisions for players,” Guerin said. “They've put a lot of thought into it.
Quinn's a very thoughtful guy. He's going through the process in his mind.
What's gonna be best for him and his life? Where does he wanna be?
All those things go into it. It's no different than Kirill, no different than any other player.
“We're trying to allow him the time, not put too much pressure on him. He knows where we stand.
We want him here for a long, long time. He's a big part of our team, a big part of our core.
But again, these things take time.”
Hughes is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after the season, and the 26-year-old has already made a major impact since arriving in Minnesota. After being acquired in December, he posted 53 points in 48 games.
To get him, the Wild sent defenseman Zeev Buium, forwards Marco Rossi and Liam Ohgren, and a first-round pick that became Adam Novotny to the Vancouver Canucks for the 2024 Norris Trophy winner.
Hughes addressed his own timeline earlier in September, saying a contract “is going to be done whenever I feel like it needs to be done.”
The defenseman also added another major accomplishment to his resume in February, winning Olympic gold with the United States alongside his brother Jack. His younger brothers, Jack and Luke, both play for the New Jersey Devils.
Guerin’s handling of Hughes comes after Minnesota locked up Kaprizov on an eight-year, $136-million extension on Sept. 30 last year. That deal carried a $17-million average annual value, which was the highest cap hit in NHL history at the time before three players later passed it.
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