As if the day of Quinn Hughes’s debut with the Minnesota Wild could get even better than a dominant 6-2 win over the Boston Bruins, the newest member of the team gave us some very nice information.
After the game and during his first media availability since the blockbuster trade that went down on Friday, Hughes was of course asked about the possibility of not just making it a quick stop in Minnesota before running off to sign to play with his brothers in New Jersey. Instead of brushing it off, the 26-year-old made it clear that he is “extremely open minded” to remain with the Wild beyond this current contract that runs through next season. And then he even went as far as praising the current core, saying it’s close to his home state, and for Bill Guerin for being the general manager ponying up the assets to get him out of Vancouver.
That’s a whole lot of positive things about the Wild running through the world-class defenseman’s mind. That only spells out good things about the Wild’s chances to lock him up and make this trade a true impact move for more than just a couple seasons.
The Wild and Hughes can agree on a contract extension as early as July 1, 2026, a year before the defenseman is set to hit unrestricted free agency. And the Wild have the benefit of being the only team that can offer Hughes an eight-year contract, since his new deal will come into place before the new CBA takes over next September.
There’s a whole lot of reasons to be very happy and optimistic in the State of Hockey right now.
That’s Wild
- Hughes talks more about joining the Wild and being very excited about this team. [StarTribune]
- More on the Wild’s big showing during Hughes’s debut where he managed to score a goal during a complete rout of the Bruins. [Pioneer Press]
- And more on the actual trade: Overpaying for Hughes feels impossible. He’s one of the best hockey players on the planet and the Wild gave up some potential, but no one even close to his level. [Hockey Wilderness]
Off the trail…
- The Pittsburgh Penguins have now suffered two consecutive third-period collapses after the Utah Mammoth clawed back to rally for a win on Sunday. [NHL.com]
- A lot is being made over the upcoming Olympics having a smaller than expected ice surface. Connor McDavid (of course) isn’t making a big deal about it.[TheScore]