The main question on the minds of Minnesota Wild fans everywhere is if and when more meaningful progress will be made on a new contract extension for defenseman Quinn Hughes, who was acquired by GM Bill Guerin from the Vancouver Canucks in a blockbuster mid-December trade.
Hughes became eligible for a contract extension when the calendar flipped to July earlier this summer, but so far, ink has yet to be put to paper, and there is growing speculation that this situation could potentially drag on.
In the meantime, Guerin re-signed UFA forward Nick Foligno, the brother of forward Marcus Foligno, to a one-year contract months after acquiring him at the NHL Trade Deadline from the Chicago Blackhawks.
They also moved on from players like Mats Zuccarello and Vladimir Tarasenko while acquiring Blake Coleman and Olli Maatta in return for Jake Middleton. But could they be considering taking a waiver on a former first round pick?
The Minnesota Wild Have Been Listed As A Potential Landing Spot For UFA Evander Kane
According to Gabriel Foley of Pro Hockey Rumors, the Wild are a team that could be a landing spot for UFA forward Evander Kane, who played last season with the Vancouver Canucks.
“The Minnesota Wild, Vegas Golden Knights, and New York Rangers are all in need of additional scoring oomph in their top-nine, while sitting just below the salary cap ceiling. Kane could bring that added punch to playoff-bound – or, playoff-hopeful – squads at a bargain price. He could also be a prime candidate for a professional try-out contract should teams want to test him in their environment before committing to a full season.”
Kane, who spent one season with his hometown Canucks, was limited to just 13 goals and 18 assists in 71 games, as his club finished with the worst overall record in the Western Conference and didn’t come close to competing for a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Kane also has considerable postseason experience, having been part of the Edmonton Oilers club that advanced to the Cup Final in 2024 and 2025.
Drafted in the opening round of the 2009 NHL Draft by the Atlanta Thrashers, who are now the second edition of the Winnipeg Jets, Kane has tallied 339 goals and 309 assists in 1,001 career games that also include stops with the Buffalo Sabres and San Jose Sharks.
Bill Guerin Said It Was Time To Shake Things Up
Earlier in the offseason following the acquisitions of Coleman and Maatta along with the departures of Zuccarello and Tarasenko, Guerin said that it wasn’t the prudent course of action to keep bringing back the same group of players year after year.
“We had a good year last year. We made a big step. We are a very good team,” Guerin said. “But the one thing we can’t do is just be complacent and be satisfied with what we did last year. We have to look forward and see how we can do better going forward.”
“You don’t want to just keep rolling out the same thing year after year after year and expect different results,” Guerin said. “A little tweak here and there is sometimes good. I think it’s healthy for everybody.”
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