Quinn Hughes isn’t sounding like a player in a hurry, and he isn’t acting like someone rattled by the noise around his future.
As training camp opened Thursday, the superstar defenseman pushed back on any sense that his contract talks with the Minnesota Wild are headed in a bad direction. His message was simple: the process is still the process, and he’s not treating September 16th like some kind of deadline.
“First of all, it’s September 16th. I mean, Kirill didn’t sign… I don’t even know when, but later than this.
So I wouldn’t say there’s any issues here,” Hughes said. “I just think that we’re going through the process, specifically myself, and just taking the time.”
He said he feels no pressure to rush into a deal, even with the season getting closer. The way he sees it, he’s in a place he likes.
“I’m really happy here. I love the guys. I love the team, and I fit in really well,” he said.
Hughes was also asked about the chatter tying him to his brothers, Jack and Luke, and whether he wants to line up a future move so they can all play together. He didn’t dismiss the idea, but he made it clear that he isn’t going to walk away from a strong situation just to make that happen.
“I think, obviously, like, yeah, there’s a draw to playing with those guys at some point,” he said. “But I think Jack said it perfectly at media tour: I’m not going to sacrifice a great spot for me to play… with them.”
For now, Hughes says he’s not sweating the timing. A contract could still come together before the season starts, and he left that door open.
The reports surrounding the negotiations have added another layer to the story. Michael Russo and Joe Smith of The Athletic reported that the Wild have made it clear to Hughes they were willing to go to the maximum eight-year term, with an annual average value above Cale Makar’s record-setting $20.4 million deal. That would have made Hughes the highest-paid defenseman in NHL history.
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Former Wild Enforcer Officially Closes The Book On His NHL Career
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For Minnesota, Reaves was part of the roster for one season, bringing edge, energy and a loud personality to a team that always knew what kind of player it was getting. In his message, he reflected on being grateful for the career he had and for the role he played along the way, a fitting finish for a player whose value was never measured only on the scoresheet. [Read more 🡒]