Hughes contract top priority for Wild, GM says

The Minnesota Wild’s top priority this offseason is re-signing Quinn Hughes, general manager Bill Guerin said Monday.

The 26-year-old defenseman is entering the last of a six-year, $47.10 million contract ($7.85 million average annual value) he signed with the Vancouver Canucks on Oct. 1, 2021, and is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of next season. Acquired in a trade with the Canucks on Dec. 12, 2025, Hughes had 53 points (five goals, 48 assists) in 48 regular-season games with the Wild and tied forward Kirill Kaprizov for the team lead in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with 15 points (four goals, 11 assists) in 11 games, averaging 30:57 of ice time.

Minnesota was eliminated by the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Second Round in five games. The Wild defeated the Dallas Stars in six games in the first round to advance for the first time since 2015.

“We’re interested in signing Quinn too,” Guerin said at the Wild’s season-ending media availability. “We loved having Quinn. He was so impactful, he’s extremely dialed in on what’s going on here. I know he liked it here, I know he likes the team. The team really embraced him.

“I love having him here, and the impact that he had on our team was incredible. These are things that take time and I think everybody needs a little bit of time to decompress, but that’s priority (No.) 1.”

Hughes was selected by Vancouver with the No. 7 pick in the 2018 NHL Draft and played eight seasons there. He was traded when it became evident he would not be signing another contract with the Canucks after his existing deal expired.

Minnesota acquired Hughes hoping it could convince him to stay beyond next season.

“I really like it here; I think that I would definitely be open to re-signing,” Hughes said on Friday. “We’ll see what Billy wants to do. I think there is definitely a couple (of factors).

“I can say that I really like it here. I love the team, I love the city and the fans and just being in that locker room with a special group and I would be really open to signing here with the guys that we have in the room and just the people we have in the room.”

With brothers Jack Hughes and Luke Hughes playing for the New Jersey Devils, it’s believed that would be a preferable landing spot once Quinn can become an unrestricted free agent. New Jersey (42-37-3) finished seventh in the Metropolitan Division and did not qualify for the playoffs.

“Not all that is up to me; we have to talk to Bill and see where his head is at and what’s he wants to do,” Hughes said. “Obviously, going into the year signed would be better, but I would say I’m a pretty tough and mentally focused guy, so if we didn’t have something don at the beginning of the year, I would be ready to go no matter what and focused on the task at hand. But I would say having something done is better.”

The Wild felt Hughes raised them to another level this season and are hoping to contend for the Stanley Cup in the near future. Having Hughes beyond next season would go a long way toward achieving the ultimate goal.

“I think when you add a player like Quinn, the guys in the room, they walk a little bit taller, they have a little more swagger to them because you just added a world-class player and you’re better,” Guerin said. “The pace at which we could play at, because Quinn moves the puck up so quickly and so efficiently, the pace of our game got better.”

Guerin also said Brock Faber benefited by playing alongside Hughes on Minnesota’s top defense pair. Faber had a career-high 51 points (15 goals, 36 assists) in 80 games this season. He had 10 points (four goals, six assists) and was plus-11 in 11 playoff games.

“I thought ‘Fabs’ immediately got better,” Guerin said. “I don’t know exactly what it was, but it was almost like Fabs saw Quinn playing and to me, it was like he said, ‘Oh wow, you can do that stuff as a defenseman.’

“He immediately became more assertive, used his legs more, just got more involved. He wasn’t just OK with moving the puck up and waiting to defend. He started going and that to me was a really positive effect that Quinn had on him. That’s kind of the way I saw it and they’re a really good pair. They’re two really good players.”

Hughes said he was going to spend extra time in Minnesota during the offseason to try and get a better feel for the surrounding areas and see all it has to offer. He also likes the direction the Wild are heading.

“I have a lot of trust with Billy and respect him and I think the way he views putting a championship team and getting the players we need, that’s how I view things and he’s a great person -- he just takes care of the players and it’s a great organization,” Hughes said. “I want to win and he wants to win more than anyone. I don’t think there’s many people more disappointed than him right now. He’s going to do everything we can to make us a championship team and for me, that makes me excited.”

NHL.com staff writer Tracey Myers contributed to this report