The Minnesota Wild are not engaged in trade talks on Quinn Hughes with the New Jersey Devils or any other club, according to league sources cited by Michael Russo of The Athletic.
One source was even more blunt, calling the rumors “bullshit” and “made up.”
What the Wild are doing is something else entirely: continuing extension negotiations with Hughes’ agent Pat Brisson. Those talks are centered on term, money and contract structure.
There’s no sense of urgency inside the organization, but the longer Hughes goes without a new deal, the more the anxiety builds among fans. Minnesota would like to get something done and remove any possible distraction once the season starts.
The money angle is only getting more complicated as the market climbs. Three players are now making more than $17 million, and the Wild already have one of them in Kirill Kaprizov.
Kaprizov is taking up 16.3% of the salary cap this season in the first year of his contract. At that same percentage, Hughes would land around $18.5 million.
The question now is whether he pushes that number to $19 million or even $20 million.
Cale Makar sits in the same extension class, and the order in which these deals get done could matter. The Colorado Avalanche defenseman is also eligible for an extension, and the first player to sign is expected to reset the defenseman market.
Update: Elliotte Friedman said the Colorado Avalanche and Cale Makar are closing in on a contract extension.
Connor Ingram is still searching for a landing spot for next season, and it’s late August with free agency still unresolved for the goaltender. Kyle Morton of Daily Faceoff noted that the Edmonton Oilers passed on Ingram and instead brought in Devon Levi and Frederik Andersen. Ingram’s last season included 16 wins, two shutouts and a .899 save percentage across 32 appearances.
Tyler Yaremchuk asked Carter Hutton where he thinks Ingram could end up, and Hutton pointed to Pittsburgh first.
“For me, I like Pittsburgh… You still have two young guys that are your guys in Silovs and Murashov. I think in the factor of you can give him a decent number, and it can be a low-ticket deal.
I know Murashov is ready… But if there’s a chance where he’s not running, or Silovs is running with it. You can still get him to play some minutes.
Pittsburgh is a team I think that needs some depth, and the other one for me that I kind of landed on just looking at the rosters and kind of knowing where goalies are in the template, is the Ottawa Senators. Linus Ullmark always having a little bit of tough stretches during the year, with Leevi Merilainen playing poorly behind him.
They have Samuel Ersson. Connor Ingram could be a guy they bring in on a decent little number.”
In Other News...
Wild Just Got A Huge Opening In The Central Division
Connor Hellebuycks public confirmation of his trade request adds another jolt to a Central Division that already felt tight at the top. The Winnipeg Jets have leaned on one of the NHLs most accomplished goaltenders for years, and he has been especially tough on Minnesota, so any move that takes him out of the division would immediately change the way the Wild have to look at that rivalry.
For Minnesota, the timing matters almost as much as the name involved. The Wild are trying to climb in a division where every point is hard-earned, and a possible Hellebuyck departure would remove one of the most reliable problems standing in their way. If Winnipeg follows through, the ripple effect could give the Wild a cleaner path in games that have often been decided by a goalie who has had their number. [Read more 🡒]
Wild Prospect Adam Benak Just Took An Important Next Step
Adam Benk has officially mapped out his next stop, committing to Western Michigan for the 2026-27 season as he continues his climb toward the NHL. The Minnesota Wild selected the skilled forward 102nd overall in the 2025 NHL Draft, and his path has already taken him through the USHL with the Youngstown Phantoms and the OHL with the Brantford Bulldogs.
Benks rsum also includes international experience with Team Czechia at the U20 IIHF World Junior Championships, where he helped his country win a silver medal. For the Wild, the commitment gives one of their more interesting recent picks a clear development route, even if the real question now is how quickly he can turn that promise into something bigger once he gets to campus. [Read more 🡒]
John Hynes Would Face Even More Pressure With A Wild Extension
John Hynes is heading into the final season of his current deal, and with training camp approaching, an extension is reportedly close for the Minnesota Wild coach. On paper, the move would give the organization some stability after a stretch in which the team has been trying to push beyond respectable regular-season results and into something more meaningful when the games tighten up.
But for Hynes, a new contract would not necessarily mean a softer landing if things go sideways. NHL history is full of coaches who signed extensions only to find that job security disappeared once the results stalled, and Hynes already carries the burden of a playoff track record that has fueled doubts about whether he can take the Wild to the next level. [Read more 🡒]