The Minnesota Wild haven’t begun the 2026-27 season, but the clock is already ticking. Quinn Hughes is in the final year of his current contract and each day he remains without an extension, rumors about his future will hang in the air and remain one of the biggest storylines with this year’s team no matter what they do on the ice.
Adding to the pressure is a road-heavy slate to begin the season as the Wild have 10 of their first 14 games and 20 of their first 30 games on the road. And with goaltender Filip Gustavsson out as he recovers from hip surgery and Brock Faber on IR after undergoing surgery for a skull fracture in the preseason finale, a fast start is imperative not only for their hopes of contending this season, but their hopes to keep Hughes around.
Winning may be the only way to convince Quinn Hughes to sign an extension
In a perfect world, Hughes would have already signed a new deal. After being acquired from the Vancouver Canucks in December, Hughes scored five goals and recorded 53 points in 48 regular season games and stepped up with four goals and 15 points during the Wild’s 11-game playoff run.
One of the NHL’s elite defensemen, he also has a knack for making his teammates better. Faber, Matt Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov all saw a jump in their games once Hughes arrived in Minnesota and it’s become the center of their championship dreams as they look to fill some of the holes created over the summer in part with players that can be elevated by Hughes.
With Hughes speaking glowingly about what the Wild have to offer, it was assumed that a deal would be reached on the same timeline that Kaprizov had before signing an eight-year, $136 million contract last September. But unless he signs a new deal while running out to the ice, it will leave plenty of room for fans to speculate why.
The most popular theory is that Hughes is mulling joining his brother Jack Hughes and Luke Hughes with the New Jersey Devils. But Quinn Hughes already dismissed the idea he would not “sacrifice a great spot” to make that happen.
There’s also a chance the price tag, which could exceed an annual average value (AAV) of $20 million, could also be a problem. But the Wild have seemed to be willing to go in on a new deal as owner Craig Leipold mentioned the team wanted to sign him to a long-term deal earlier in the summer and The Athletic’s Michael Russo framed it as more of a decision than a negotiation.
So what could be the hold up? There’s a good chance it’s to see what happens with the Wild this season.
According to Canucks insider Rich Dhaliwal, Hughes was tired of the organizational chaos and lack of winning in Vancouver. While the Canucks’ drama behind the scenes including a “Mean Girls” culture led by JT Miller and Elias Petterson and a revolving door at head coach were part of the problem, they also couldn’t win games, posting a record of 38-30-14 in the 2024-25 season and an 11-17-3 record before Hughes was traded last December.
That was a steep drop from a 50-23-9 season and a Pacific Division title during the 2023-24 campaign and it could be what Hughes is trying to find out before making a long-term commitment in Minnesota.
Wild must start fast to convince Quinn Hughes to sign an extension
Even without Faber, the Wild’s core is strong enough to elevate them to a quick start. But they’ll need to answer several questions. Jesper Wallstedt will be the unquestioned No. 1 goaltender while Gustavsson recovers from surgery and the Wild will have to make up 150 points in their top six with Bobby Brink, Maxim Shabanov and Blake Coleman expected to make up for the loss of Mats Zuccarello, Vladimir Tarasenko and Marcus Johansson.
There’s also a question on whether the Wild’s roster will evolve over the course of the season. Minnesota is still trying to make a trade to acquire Dylan Larkin from the Detroit Red Wings and there’s a chance that Guerin could pivot if another disgruntled superstar becomes available as the season begins.
But no matter what happens off the ice, the Wild will need to win on it. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said he would “begin to worry” if a deal wasn’t done at the start of the season and now that it’s here, the pressure will begin to mount if Minnesota stumbles out of the gate. More talking heads will likely surface if the losses stack up and it could have everyone wondering what Hughes is thinking with free agency within reach.
Perhaps Hughes will end the buzz by signing a contract in the coming days or weeks. But if he doesn’t, getting off to a good start will be critical if Minnesota wants Hughes to sign on the dotted line.
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