The Minnesota Wild have huge goals for this upcoming season after falling short of winning a Stanley Cup. Even with the departures on the roster, the Wild are still in good shape to be considered contenders for the Stanley Cup. They still have some tasks they need to complete this offseason, one of them being extending defenseman Quinn Hughes.
Even though the two sides have openly expressed a desire to agree to terms on a new contract extension, it hasn't happened just yet. That doesn't mean it's negative news. Rather, the two sides are taking their time to iron out details on a potential deal.
During an interview with The Athletic's Joe Smith, Nick Foligno discussed Hughes' upcoming contract extension. Foligno believes that Hughes signing a contract extension with the Wild is "a no-brainer."
Nick Foligno believes Quinn Hughes re-signing with Wild is 'no-brainer'
“Maybe it’s stupid to say, but on a team like this, we’re just super confident in who we are. It seems like a no-brainer to join,” Foligno said. “I don’t think there’s an insecurity, like, ‘Oh, we need Quinn.’ It’s like, ‘Man, why would you leave here? We’re a great team.’ That’s where the confidence comes from. That’s what guys appreciate. I don’t think anyone is too concerned about what’s going to happen. I think it’s just a matter of time.
“It’s a big reason why I stayed. Where else are you going to go to have an opportunity to have a great team? I know he’ll have his personal things, but he knows at the end of the day how great this team is and how much he loves this group. I don’t think any guy is really concerned about it.”
Wild general manager Bill Guerin made the trade for Hughes last December to not only help them win a Stanley Cup in the timeframe of his current contract. But to also convince him to sign a new contract with them. In a matter of months, it sounds like the Wild won him over, especially as they made it to the second round of the playoffs after defeating the Dallas Stars in six games. They lost to the Colorado Avalanche in five games.
The team should still be in good shape entering next season, despite losing the likes of Mats Zuccarello, Jake Middelton, and Marcus Johansson this offseason. Not to mention, they were not able to get the top line center they were seeking. But, they did make a move to add winger Blake Coleman from the Calgary Flames. We'll see if there are more additions to come before the start of the season.
Quinn Hughes, Wild ownership open to contract extension
After Minnesota's playoff run ended, Hughes said he would be open to signing a new contract with the team.
"I really like it here. I would definitely be open to re-signing. We'll see what Billy wants to do," Hughes said, h/t ESPN. "We're 36 hours removed [from elimination]. I'm not sure I'm ready to get into details, what they would look like."
Additionally, Wild owner Craig Leipold publicly said that the team will re-sign Hughes this offseason, whlle saying that it will likely be for three-years. Leipold said he's hoping they can convince Hughes to sign a five-year deal.
“First of all, Quinn Hughes is an extraordinary player and an extraordinary person,” Leipold said, h/t NHL.com. “We had to give up a lot to get him in this past year. We are going to re-sign him. The question will be for how long. We would like to go as long as we could. He will probably want it to be a little shorter -- shorter being maybe three years. We hopefully will end up at five, I don’t know, and the reason I can openly talk about this is that I’m not doing the negotiating.”
A three-year extension has been speculated throughout this offseason, as it would allow Quinn to hit free agency as the same time as his younger brother Jack Hughes, the star of the New Jersey Devils. The duo have discussed potentially playing on the same team at some point in their respective careers, and hitting free agency at the same time would be their best way at accomplishing that.
The buzz is that there is expected to be an agreement on a new deal at some point this offseason. But with each passing day, the fanbase may become a bit more nervous and pessimistic.
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