After an off-season of speculation surrounding star defenseman Quinn Hughes' future with the Minnesota Wild, the 26-year-old has made it clear that a new deal will come when he feels ready.
LAS VEGAS — The clock might be ticking as Quinn Hughes heads into the final year of his contract. But the Minnesota Wild defenseman, who becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1, said he is not under any pressure to re-sign an extension before the start of the season.
“This is going to be done whenever I feel like it needs to be done,” Hughes said during the NHL Player Media Tour on Wednesday. “I don’t feel backed up against a wall. I’m very thoughtful. I want to make sure I’m taking my time on everything and make sure I’m making a decision that is going to be good for everyone. That’s kind of where my head has been at.”
Where Hughes' head is at has been a topic of conversation ever since the 2025-26 season ended.
Does he want to sign long term in Minnesota? Does he want to force his way out and play with with his brothers, Jack and Luke, in New Jersey? Does he want to eclipse the $20.4-million cap hit recently signed by Cale Makar?
No one — maybe not even Hughes — knows what will come next for the Norris Trophy winner.
But one thing is for sure: whatever Hughes' decides, it will be with him and his career in mind.
"It is my life," he said. "I’m not going to do anything to make someone else happy. Obviously, I like to think of myself as a thoughtful person to a point where it’s not good for me and I’m thinking too much about all these different things. I think that everyone’s got to do whatever makes them happy and where the chips fall they fall."
That being said, Hughes is looking forward to another season in Minnesota, where he was traded to in December last year. He said he loves playing for coach John Hynes and alongside Brock Faber. And he loves GM Bill Guerin, who traded for Hughes.
In Minnesota, which lost in the second round to Colorado, Hughes can see the potential of winning a Stanley Cup.
"I hate to be this guy, but losing (Joel Eriksson-Ek) and (Jonas Brodin) hurt a lot. If they're healthy, you never know, maybe Colorado still beats us, but it was tough to not have those two guys," he said. "You're missing your top centerman and top defenseman. So I feel like, coming back into this year, there's a lot of positive things to look at. And obviously you guys know how aggressive Billy is, so, if there's something to do, he's gonna do it.
"So to answer your question, what do I need to see from the team? Nothing. I'm happy with that aspect for sure.”
At the same time, watching Brady Tkachuk leave Ottawa and join his brother in Florida this summer has reminded Hughes how special it would be to play with his two younger brothers. With Jack Hughes' contract expiring in 2030, there has been talk that Quinn Hughes might sign for only four years so that they both enter unrestricted free agency at the same time.
Of course, both Jack and Quinn said they haven't talked about that.
"I think people think we're at home all day just talking about it," said Jack Hughes. "We're not. We're not because we're enjoying the summer. That's what the summer's for, is to get away from it and enjoy yourself and do things that you normally can't do during the season. Obviously, we talk, but it's not like we're breaking it down every single day."
For now, Quinn Hughes is going to do what's best for himself. That means signing a deal that makes him happy — whether it's short term, long term or whatever.
"I'm not going to get into that," he said of whether the term or the money is the sticking point. "It’s between me and Billy (Guerin) and ultimately we'll figure it out and then you guys will find out at that point.
“It's close, but it's also far away. And it's just not where my mind is. I'm in Minny, I'm ready to go. I have 84 games plus. And like I said, it's where I want to be, I'm excited to go to camp and get going.”
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