The Minnesota Wild have been a team on the upswing for several years now, but even after making it past round one of the Stanley Cup Playoffs a year ago, their place as a true Stanley Cup contender is still highly questionable.
This team has some major holes up front that they desperately need to fill in order to take that next step, and with Quinn Hughes, the teams biggest star still not locked down beyond the 2026/27 season, there’s still plenty of business to be done. That responsibility lies with General Manager Bill Guerin, and after reports he was set to take the next step in discussions with Hughes, he’s now addressed the future of his superstar defenseman.
Quinn Hughes’ Future Still Isn’t Certain in Minnesota
GettyQuinn Hughes of the Minnesota Wild.
Last year, Minnesota mortgaged a large part of their future to acquire Hughes from the Wild, giving up Marco Rossi, Liam Ohgren and Zeev Buium in the process, as they believe he could not only be a key piece of their future, but could potentially be a part of bringing his brother Jack to Minnesota as well.
Those two things only happen if Hughes is locked in to a long-term deal, and recently, it was reported that Guerin would be headed to Michigan to visit with Hughes and discuss a long-term contract extension, but as of right now, nothing has been confirmed.
Bill Guerin Addresses Ongoing Talks With Quinn Hughes
That report last week had fans excited about potentially seeing a new deal with Hughes, and while nothing has yet happened, GM Bill Guerin appeared optimistic during his latest interview that a deal could happen, but won’t lift the lid on too many details.
“I’m not gonna get too far into it, but I have been talking to his camp all along,” said Guerin. “These things take time, they are big decisions for players and teams, so it’s a process to work through it.
As Guerin mentions, these things certainly take time, especially for Hughes as a player with two brothers in the league that he’d likely love to play with one day, as it would be a big decision for him to commit to Minnesota long-term, along with the rising salary cap that continues to go up, but given the team around him and what he’s said so far, signs are good for the organization.
To this point, there’s been no indication that Hughes wants out of Minnesota, especially after a campaign that saw him post 5 goals and 53 points in 48 games played, but until a deal gets done, there’s going to be some level of doubt from their fans. Ultimately, the risk to acquire Hughes was one that was well worth it for Guerin and the Wild, and if the team can get something done heading into the 2026/27 season, they’ll be a team that nobody in the Western Conference wants to see come Stanley Cup Playoffs time.
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