Insider Makes Prediction About Quinn Hughes' Future With Wild
"I have two predictions about the Minnesota Wild and their players," Friedman said. "Prediction number one: Quinn Hughes signs a three-year extension. It's just my prediction. Three years. He goes three years."
Friedman made the prediction it in the immediate aftermath of Minnesota eliminating the Dallas Stars in six games, a series in which Hughes was as good as any defenseman in the playoffs, scoring two goals and adding an assist in Game 6 alone to help send the Wild to the second round for the first time in 11 years.
Hughes becomes eligible for a contract extension when the new league year opens on July 1, having entered the final year of the six-year, $47.1 million deal he signed with Vancouver back in 2021.
If no extension is signed this summer, he becomes an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2027.
Minnesota's window to lock him up opens in weeks.
Why Three Years Makes Sense
The structure of a three-year deal carries an interesting secondary implication that Friedman and others have noted.
A three-year extension signed this summer would run through the 2029-30 season, which is the same year Jack Hughes' current contract with the New Jersey Devils expires.
Both brothers would hit unrestricted free agency simultaneously. That alignment is not likely a coincidence in how Hughes is thinking about his future.
The Devils dream scenario, where Quinn reunites with Jack and Luke in New Jersey, remains a real possibility after this contract.
Elliotte Friedman: Re Quinn Hughes: I would be surprised if he does not extend in Minnesota - NHL Now (5/1)
— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) May 4, 2026
Hughes' initial preference when Vancouver decided to move him in December was reportedly Detroit, not New Jersey.
The Red Wings were interested but could not get a handshake agreement on an extension done, which froze the deal and ultimately led to Minnesota jumping in.
Since arriving in St. Paul, Hughes has thrived in a way that makes the Wild confident they have a really good shot at keeping him beyond the short window they originally acquired him for.
His chemistry with Brock Faber on the top defensive pair has been described by coaches and teammates as one of the best partnerships in the league.
He finished the regular season with seven goals and 69 assists for 76 points across 74 games split between Vancouver and Minnesota.
He won Olympic gold with Team USA in Milan, posting one goal and seven assists in six games. He is 26 years old and playing the best hockey of his career.
What the Wild Are Building Around Him
The first-round win over Dallas was huge for the Wild.
Minnesota has historically been one of the league's most prominent playoff underachievers, with only five postseason series wins in franchise history and a Western Conference Final appearance that dates back to 2003.
The Wild now face the Presidents' Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche in the second round, which represents both the biggest test Hughes has faced in a Wild uniform and the most compelling argument Bill Guerin can make about what this organization is capable of.
AIMING FOR THE DEFENDER'S SKATES...
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) May 1, 2026
QUINN HUGHES IS WILD (😏) FOR THAT ONE 😵 https://t.co/MIoutzrT1C pic.twitter.com/5ESHe4XhNX
If Minnesota can advance past Colorado, the extension conversation intensifies dramatically.
The Wild gave up Marco Rossi, Liam Ohgren, Zeev Buium, and a first-round pick to get Hughes in December.
They need to know sooner rather than later whether that price was the opening bid on a long-term partnership or a one-season rental that ends in free agency.
Photo Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
