Twenty million a season, and nobody is fainting
A year ago, that figure would have raised eyebrows. Not anymore.
Elliotte Friedman, on NHL Tonight, said he would not be surprised to see Quinn Hughes land a contract with a $20 million average annual value. The 26-year-old defenseman is entering the final year of his deal with the Minnesota Wild. Nothing is signed. And there is no sign the two sides are close.
The interesting bit is elsewhere. Friedman believes Hughes is not chasing a long-term contract. Three years, maybe. For the Wild, that is good news in disguise: a huge number, but not one that ties them down until 2035.
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Three years, and two brothers in New Jersey
Why three years? Friedman points to the family angle. Jack Hughes’s contract with the New Jersey Devils expires in four years. The youngest brother, Luke, is also in New Jersey.
A short deal would give Quinn the chance to reset when both of his brothers could be available. That is not something the player has confirmed, just an insider read. But it has been doing the rounds for months and it explains a fair bit.
The Wild landed Hughes in December last year, in the trade with Vancouver that also sent Zeev Buium to the Canucks. A year later, the franchise is negotiating with a player who may want to keep his options open.
Guerin plays it down, the clock keeps ticking
General manager Bill Guerin is trying to keep the nerves in check. His line is simple: Kirill Kaprizov did not sign his extension until late September last year. Nothing unusual there.
Except the Wild’s regular season starts on October 1. If Hughes still has not been extended by then, the trade chatter will only get louder. Some are already floating a scenario in which Minnesota would rather move him than watch him walk next summer for nothing.
That would be a brutal call for a club that paid plenty to get him. Guerin is not there yet. He still has a few weeks.
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