For Minnesota Wild fans, every day that Quinn Hughes goes unsigned is one of anxiety.
When Joe Smith and Michael Russo reported last week that "nothing has changed on the Hughes front", they didn't give Wild fans a vote of confidence. Now that July 1 has come and gone, Quinn Hughes is eligible to sign an extension in Minnesota before he becomes a free agent in 2027. Locking that contract down has to be a priority for the Wild brass.
Trading for Hughes last season helped the Wild to their best playoff outcome since the 2014-15 season, moving them closer to that primary goal of a Stanley Cup Championship. Losing Hughes to free agency would be a death blow for the organization, which gave up a lot to bring him to Minnesota.
Hughes has said he's open to staying in Minnesota, but fans are understandably worried. After all, his exit from the Vancouver Canucks was surprising, even if fans learned after the fact that he'd been wanting out since the off-season. The longer the team goes without winning, the bigger the incentive Hughes will have to look for a way out. It doesn't help that there's still a desire for Hughes to play with his brothers, both of whom play for the New Jersey Devils.
The Minnesota Wild are allowing the Quinn Hughes contract contol the offseason narrative
It's not all bad news for Wild fans, however. In conversation with the Minnesota Star Tribune, Wild head coach John Hynes said he feels like there are "a lot of good things where this is a really attractive place for [him] to want to be." Hynes highlighted that Hughes has a good relationship with the coaching staff and with Bill Guerin, and that he enjoys it in Minnesota.
While all signs point to Hughes asking for a big paycheque on his next deal, the Wild are in a good situation to give him what he's asking for. The salary cap increase is coming at the perfect time for the team.
Still, there's no solace for Wild fans until Hughes's signature is on a contract extension. Will Hughes have a contract before he and the Wild return to Vancouver on October 25? Wild fans can only hope.
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