Quinn Hughes has gone from the NHL’s biggest question mark on the Minnesota Wild to sounding like a player who knows exactly where this is headed.
That’s the change hanging over the Wild as they start a weekend back-to-back in Seattle on Saturday night, with Sunday set to bring Hughes back to Vancouver for the first time since Minnesota acquired the captain last December. The return trip alone would have made this a notable road swing, but the contract backdrop has pushed it into must-watch territory.
Hughes is in the final year of a deal carrying a $7.85 million cap hit and is positioned to hit unrestricted free agency next July. That’s been the source of plenty of nerves for Wild fans, especially with Olympic teammate Connor Hellebuyck going to New Jersey on Friday, where Hughes’ brothers Jack and Luke already play.
On Saturday, though, Hughes gave a much different answer than the usual runaround. When Joe Smith of The Athletic asked about his future, Hughes said his feet are “firmly planted” in Minnesota and added that fans shouldn’t be surprised if “something happens soon.”
Joe Smith posted the exchange on X, writing: “I asked Quinn Hughes about his contract situation, and he said his two feet are “firmly planted” in Minnesota. And he said he wouldn’t be surprised if something happens “soon.” #mnwild.”
Another post from Dylan Loucks captured Hughes saying, “I'm where I've always been. I'm excited right now.
My two feet are planted in Minnesota and you know, something could happen soon. I'm not really to sure.
I'm really enjoying playing here. I love playing with, you see”
That is a clear shift from the tone around the situation on Friday. In his reporting on the Hellebuyck trade, Pierre LeBrun wrote that Hughes “remains undecided on his future” after checking in again this week and had not informed the Wild whether he planned to extend.
Nothing is done yet, and the Wild have not announced any agreement. Still, Hughes’ comments were the first real sign that the talks might be moving in the right direction.
And if Minnesota does end up landing him on a long-term deal, it knows exactly what it’s getting. Since arriving in the trade last season, Hughes has been everything the Wild could have asked for.
He put up 53 points, including five goals and 48 assists, in 48 games while averaging 27:54 of ice time. In the playoffs, he was even more productive, posting 15 points, with four goals and 11 assists, in 11 games and logging 30:57 per night.
He has kept rolling this season, too. Through 11 games, Hughes has 13 points, five of them on the power play, while averaging 27:25 on the ice.
He is also sitting right on the doorstep of a major career marker. Hughes has 498 points in 518 regular-season games, meaning he needs just two more to reach 500 as the Wild head into Saturday’s game in Seattle and Sunday’s stop in Vancouver.
In Other News...
Quinn Hughes Just Made Wild Fans Wonder How Close This Really Is
Quinn Hughes gave Wild fans a little more reason to keep watching the contract clock this week, speaking to reporters about where things stand and sounding increasingly comfortable with his future in Minnesota. The defenseman said he is enjoying his time with the Wild and framed his outlook in positive terms, a notable sign for a team that has been waiting to see whether the fit can turn into something longer term.
Hughes also tied that comfort to the group around him, pointing to the appeal of playing with established blue-line partners and a roster he believes has enough talent to chase a Stanley Cup. He stopped short of declaring anything finished, but his comments left the impression that Minnesota is in a real conversation here, and that the next step may not be far off. [Read more 🡒]
Bobby Brink Is Running Out Of Time To Prove This Trade Right
Bobby Brink arrived in Minnesota with a clean chance to justify the cost of the move, but the early returns have been more promise than payoff. The Wild picked up the forward from Philadelphia in exchange for defenseman David Jiricek, and while Brink has flashed some touch as a passer, the overall offensive output has not yet matched what Minnesota likely hoped for when it made the swap.
Through the early part of this season, Brink has collected five assists in 11 games, but the finishing side of his game still has not come around. After ending last season with two goals and four points in 13 games for Minnesota, he is running out of runway to show that this trade can look like a win for the Wild. [Read more 🡒]
Wild Just Lost A Young Blue-Line Piece They Could Not Keep
The Wilds roster crunch finally cost them a young defenseman they had been trying to keep in the mix. Minnesota placed Daemon Hunt on waivers to free up space after Jared Spurgeon and Olli Maatta returned, and that opened the door for Nashville to step in and grab the 23-year-old blue-liner for its own depth chart.
For the Predators, the claim adds an NHL-ready piece on the back end, while the Wild lose a player who had already logged 11 NHL games this season. Hunt now lands on Nashvilles active roster, a reminder that waiver decisions can turn a temporary squeeze into a permanent departure in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]