The Minnesota Wild must determine if Quinn Hughes will sign an extension this summer, while the rebuilding Calgary Flames could continue shipping out veterans for young assets.
The Minnesota Wild's season ended last week with their second-round elimination by the Colorado Avalanche.
Following that series, however, they got some good news about Quinn Hughes' future with the franchise.
During his end-of-season media availability, Hughes told reporters he's open to signing a contract extension with the Wild. The 26-year-old superstar defenseman has a year left on his contract with a cap hit of $7.85 million.
Acquired from the Vancouver Canucks in December, Hughes quickly fit in with the Wild, helping them record their fourth-best season (46 wins, 104 points) in franchise history. GM Bill Guerin is keen to get him under contract as soon as possible.
Sportsnet's Michael Amato believes Guerin and the Wild need clarity on Hughes' plans as soon as possible. While he's open to signing an extension, he also indicated that he's comfortable starting next season without one.
Amato believes Guerin might have to consider shopping Hughes this summer if he gets no commitment from the blueliner about an extension. He argues that the 2023-24 Norris Trophy winner would have more value this summer than he would as a rental player next season.
The cost of re-signing Hughes will be the determining factor.
The Wild already have a high-salaried superstar on their books with Kirill Kaprizov earning a league-leading average annual value of $17 million. As an elite NHL defenseman, Hughes could seek a similar amount, which could put him out of the Wild's price range.
Turning to the Calgary Flames, GM Craig Conroy has spent the past two seasons shipping out veteran players for promising youngsters and draft picks.
According to Anthony Di Marco of Daily Faceoff, Conroy could be in sell mode again during the off-season.
Di Marco quoted team sources claiming the Flames GM is willing to entertain trade offers for almost everyone on the roster. The only untouchables are goaltender Dustin Wolf, forwards Matvei Gridin and Matt Coronato, and defenseman Zayne Parekh.
Blake Coleman is the most likely trade candidate. The 34-year-old two-way left winger is a year away from UFA eligibility. Others include forwards Morgan Frost, Yegor Sharangovich, Connor Zary and Joel Farabee.
Di Marco believes the Flames would love to move playmaking left winger Jonathan Huberdeau, but his expensive contract remains a major obstacle. He has five more years remaining with an average annual value of $10.5 million and a full no-movement clause.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.