Quinn Hughes isn’t hiding where he stands. He says his “two feet are planted in Minnesota,” and he made it clear he likes what he sees with the Wild right now.
Speaking to Joe Smith of The Athletic, Hughes said, “I’m here. I’ve always been.
I’m excited. My two feet are planted in Minnesota.
Something could happen soon. I’m not too sure.
I’m really enjoying playing here. I see playing with you see (Jonas Brodin), (Jared Spurgeon), when (Brock Faber) comes back - there are a lot of things that are set up for me to have success, individually and for us as a team.
We have a great team. The first thing is you want to get in the playoffs, but I think we have a chance to win this season.”
For the Wild, that kind of tone is exactly what they want to hear. Hughes has been their big swing since July 1, and the fact remains that he’s still working under the six-year, $47.1MM deal he signed with the Vancouver Canucks in 2021. He has one year left on that contract, and Minnesota paid a heavy price to bring him in, parting with key young pieces like Marco Rossi, Zeev Buium, and other assets.
The production has matched the investment. Hughes finished the 2025-26 season with 76 points, including 53 in 48 games with Minnesota, and added 15 points in 11 playoff games.
This season, he’s already off to another huge start, with three goals and 16 points in 13 games while logging nearly 27 minutes a night. Only Edmonton’s Evan Bouchard, with 21 points, has more among defensemen to open the year.
His impact goes beyond the box score, too. Among defensemen with at least 10 games played, Hughes ranks sixth in shot attempts percentage at 59.9%, a good snapshot of how often the puck is on Minnesota’s stick when he’s out there.
That’s why the contract talk keeps circling back to him. A new deal would matter to the Wild as they try to keep their current contention window open and push for a Western Conference Final run. Hughes is the type of defenseman Minnesota needed in its pursuit of the franchise’s first Cup, and the trade to get him only raised the urgency to lock him in long term.
Still, nothing has been finalized. That’s been the case since July 1, and it remains the case now.
The salary picture only makes the conversation louder. Cale Makar’s $20.4MM AAV has reset the top of the market, and Hughes is clearly in that neighborhood. There was thought that he might wait to see where that deal landed before choosing his own path, but the waiting game continues.
Hughes also addressed the other noise around him, including the recent Connor Hellebuyck trade and the looming decision on Dylan Larkin in Detroit. He said he’s seen the speculation that if Detroit trades its long-time center to the Wild, it could push him to sign, but he also made his own position plain: he “love[s] the hockey aspect [in Minnesota]. That’s not something where I’m talking to Billy about and would impact anything.”
There’s been outside chatter, too, about whether Hughes might eventually prefer a shorter deal, maybe three or four years, and line himself up with brother Jack in New Jersey. Jack is signed for three more years there, while Luke is on a much longer deal, which makes that scenario less straightforward.
Hughes said he “was happy for Helly from a personal friendship aspect of it,” and “for Jack and Luke because it helps their team. But … I haven’t been thinking about that, that’s for sure.”
Earlier in the season, Hughes said his extension would “be done whenever I feel like it needs to be done.” He also said he does not feel “backed up against a wall” to rush the decision, explaining that he “want[s] to make sure I’m taking my time on everything and make sure I’m making a decision that is going to be good for everyone.
The Wild have the flexibility to wait, but they’d clearly prefer not to drag this out. Minnesota has almost $45MM in cap space for 2027-28, though that number will have to account for expiring deals for Ryan Hartman, Blake Coleman, Jared Spurgeon, and Jesper Wallstedt. For now, the message from Hughes is simple: he’s in Minnesota, he likes Minnesota, and the decision hasn’t been forced yet.
In Other News...
Red Wings Are Holding Firm In Dylan Larkin Trade Talks
The Wild still have their name in the mix as Detroit weighs whether to move center Dylan Larkin, but the talks are being framed by the Red Wings as more than a simple one-for-one swap. Detroit is believed to want young centers in return, which puts a player like Danila Yurov in the conversation for Minnesota, and the salary-cap math only adds another layer of complexity to any possible deal.
What keeps this from moving quickly is the price and the timing. Detroit is not treating Larkin as a player it has to move right away, even with interest coming from multiple teams, and any real package would have to go well beyond a single prospect to satisfy what the Red Wings are seeking. For Minnesota, that means the path to landing a centerpiece like Larkin is still there, but it is not close to being straightforward. [Read more 🡒]
Wild Offseason Pressure Just Got Tied To Two Star Names
The ripple effects of the Connor Hellebuyck trade have put Minnesota in an interesting spot as the offseason chatter starts to overlap with bigger-name decisions around the league. Michael Russo and EJ Hradek used the deal as a lens for what teams may be willing to pay in future trades, how clubs value draft capital, and how those conversations can shape both roster building and contract strategy.
For the Wild, the conversation has also bled into two names that matter a lot to the next phase of the franchise: Dylan Larkin and Quinn Hughes. Minnesota has been tied to interest in Larkin, while Hughes remains unsigned, leaving plenty of room for speculation about how the market could develop and which direction the Wild ultimately choose as they weigh present-day needs against a longer rebuild. [Read more 🡒]
Wild Make A Roster Move With One Young Forward Still Pushing Hard
The Minnesota Wild sent forward Rieger Lorenz back to the Iowa Wild, trimming their roster as the young player continues his first full pro season. Lorenz, drafted in 2022 and recently signed to his entry-level deal, had earned six games with Minnesota this season and was getting his first taste of NHL action after making the jump from the amateur ranks.
For the Wild, the move keeps the 21-year-old in a spot where he can log meaningful minutes and keep developing after a promising start in the AHL. Lorenz already has shown some offensive touch in Iowa, and with the organization managing its depth at forward, he remains one of the more interesting young pieces to track as the season goes on. [Read more 🡒]