TORONTO -- All is quiet between the Minnesota Wild and Quinn Hughes, and the team could keep the defenseman past the NHL Trade Deadline on March 1 if he doesn’t sign a new deal, general manager Bill Guerin said Tuesday.
Hughes, whom the Wild acquired from the Vancouver Canucks in a trade Dec. 12, 2025, is in the final season of a six-year, $47.1 million contract ($7.85 million average annual value) he signed with Vancouver on Oct. 3, 2021. The 27-year-old has been eligible to sign a new contract with the Wild since July 1. If he doesn’t sign before June 30, he will become an unrestricted free agent the next day.
On Oct. 24, Hughes said he “wouldn’t be surprised if something happens soon.” But Tuesday, Guerin said the situation is “status quo.”
Why is it status quo?
“Because, honestly, I just want him to focus on hockey,” Guerin said. “Like I said, he knows what’s going on in his head. He understands everything.”
When will Guerin reach an inflection point?
“I don’t know,” Guerin said. “Maybe I don’t.”
Would Guerin be willing to keep Hughes past the trade deadline?
“Sure,” Guerin said. “Yeah.”
Hughes won the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s best defenseman in 2024.
Since the trade, Hughes has 79 points (11 goals, 68 assists) in 67 games, second on the Wild and second among NHL defensemen. In that span, forward Kirill Kaprizov leads Minnesota with 86 points (43 goals, 43 assists) in 66 games, and Evan Bouchard of the Edmonton Oilers is first among NHL defensemen with 98 points (26 goals, 72 assists) in 70 games.
The Wild (12-3-4) lead the Central Division entering their game at the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; RDS, TSN5, MINNHL, Wild+).
“Honestly, we’re a better team with Quinn Hughes, so I mean, I want to keep him as long as I possibly can,” Guerin said. “Whether it’s three months, three years, seven years, whatever, we’re a better team with Quinn Hughes.”
