No matter how the rest of the offseason unfolds, the Wild’s biggest unfinished item is still Quinn Hughes.
They can chase the top-line center they’ve been after. They can keep reshaping the roster around the edges. Until Hughes is locked in, nothing else quite closes the loop on what became the franchise’s defining move of the year.
Minnesota knew the risk when it landed him in December, a blockbuster that sent Marco Rossi, Liam Ohgren, Zeev Buium and a first-round draft pick to Vancouver for the star defenseman. It was the biggest trade in Wild history and the kind of deal that instantly changes the temperature around a team. Hughes’ contract was always part of the equation, but the Wild were willing to make the swing anyway.
So far, that bet has paid off. Hughes settled in fast, tightened up the blue line, added another layer to the offense and helped push the Wild past their long-running first-round problem by winning their first playoff series in 11 years. Minnesota still bowed out in the second round, but the message was clear: this team had moved into the Stanley Cup contender conversation.
That makes the next step obvious. The Wild’s window stays open as long as Hughes is part of it.
The talks are still in the early stage, but they’re real. President of Hockey Operations Bill Guerin has been in contact with Hughes directly and has also spoken multiple times with Hughes’ agent, Pat Brisson. The expectation now is that the focus will shift to Hughes’ contract after the draft and the early rush of NHL free agency, both of which had kept Minnesota occupied.
The Wild’s recent business has been busy enough on its own. After making three picks at the draft, they re-signed Zach Bogosian and Nick Foligno, brought in a third goalie in Calvin Pickard and added forward Maxim Shabanov. They also dealt Jake Middleton to Calgary for Blake Coleman and Olli Maatta.
As for the contract itself, the timing matters. Hughes is 26, and the longest deal he can sign with Minnesota is eight years if it gets done before the new collective bargaining agreement takes effect on Sept.
- After that, the maximum drops to seven years.
In Other News...
Wild Had A Painful Reason For Letting Zuccarello Walk
Mats Zuccarellos departure from Minnesota came with more context than a simple free-agent loss. The veteran winger signed a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Kings, and the Wilds decision to let him walk appears tied to a broader offensive recalibration, one aimed at creating more balance and more speed throughout the lineup. For a team that has leaned heavily on its top talents, the move signals a desire to make opponents defend more than one obvious threat.
The Wild are trying to spread scoring chances around instead of letting one familiar partnership drive so much of the attack, and that is where Maxim Shabanov enters the picture as part of the next wave. There is also the possibility of more change up the middle, which only adds to the sense that Minnesota is still reshaping its identity after moving on from a player who had become a central piece of its offensive structure. [Read more 🡒]
Wild Have Zero Margin For Error With Their Top Offseason Priority
The offseason has already given Minnesota a few useful pieces to sort through, including the trade with Calgary that brought in Olli Maatta and Blake Coleman. Maatta adds a veteran presence and championship experience to a blue line that needed some reinforcement, while the decision to bring back Nick Foligno gives the Wild a familiar layer of depth and stability as they map out the months ahead.
Even with those moves, the front office knows the biggest work still sits on the to-do list. The preseason schedule is out and hockey is still a couple months away, but the real pressure point is making sure the rosters most important defensive piece is locked in before the summer starts to slip away. [Read more 🡒]
Calvin Pickard Signing Raises A Bigger Wild Goaltending Concern
The Wilds latest goaltending move is less about solving a long-term problem than keeping the position afloat while Filip Gustavsson is out. Calvin Pickard arrives with plenty of NHL and AHL mileage, and Minnesota is betting that its tighter defensive structure can help a veteran who has had stretches of competence even if his recent results have been uneven. For a team that has spent plenty of time trying to stabilize the crease, Pickard is a workable bridge, but not the kind of addition that quiets the bigger questions surrounding the depth chart.
Pickards fit will be judged as much by context as by raw numbers, because last season in Edmonton was rough and the Oilers team defense did him few favors. Minnesota is hoping for a cleaner environment and a steadier workload, which could make him look more like the dependable stopgap he has been at his best. The larger concern is what happens once Gustavsson is healthy again, since the Wild still have to sort out how this goalie picture looks beyond the short term. [Read more 🡒]