Quinn Hughes Reveals Stance on Wild Contract Extension After Trade from Canucks at NHL Deadline

After being acquired by the Minnesota Wild in December and leading them to a playoff appearance this season, Quinn Hughes is open to working out a contract extension going into the final year of his current deal in 2026-27.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Hughes explained he is "definitely" open to extending his deal to ensure his long-term future in Minnesota.

"I really like it here. I would definitely be open to re-signing. We'll see what Billy wants to do," Hughes said. "We're 36 hours removed [from elimination]. I'm not sure I'm ready to get into details, what they would look like."

Hughes is set to earn $8.3 million next season in the final year of his six-year, $47.1 million deal originally signed in October 2021. He is eligible to sign an extension starting on July 1 and expressed hope to not be playing on an expiring contract.

"Not all that's up to me. Going into a year signed would be better," Hughes said on Friday. 'But I'm a pretty mentally tough and focused guy. If we didn't have something done, I'd be ready to go no matter what."

As the Vancouver Canucks opted to rebuild this season, Hughes found himself traded by the club he had spent his entire career with early in the year to an ascending Wild team.

Hughes was terrific in 48 games for Minnesota, leading the team in assists (48) and ranking fourth in points (53). The Wild's 104 points in the regular season were their most since 2021-22 and they won a playoff series for the first time since 2015, defeating the Dallas Stars in six games.

Minnesota's postseason run came to an end on Wednesday with a 4-3 overtime loss to the Colorado Avalanche in Game 5 of the Western Conference quarterfinals.

Looking ahead to the offseason, the Wild have seven contracts on their books that count at least $6 million against the cap in 2026-27. They only have a projected $13.6 million in cap space.

Given the success the Wild had, particularly with Hughes anchoring their defensive line and him only being 26, it would seem to be in their best interest to act as soon as possible to get a deal done.