Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin had a surprising interview on KFAN during the Minnesota State Fair. The interview, while providing plenty of cringeworthy moments, wasn’t surprising. The fact that Guerin interviewed in the first place did. 

Usually, GMs aren’t public, especially during a big contract negotiation. Sure, Guerin wants to provide some transparency about the team ahead of a pivotal season, but he’s been uncannily candid this summer. On the radio hit at the state fair, he admitted it was his third interview of the day. 

The New Jersey Devils want an answer, or at least some clarity, on Quinn Hughes. Can they acquire him this season, in the offseason, or later? The saga weighed on the team last season, and it’s no coincidence they fell apart after the star defenseman was traded from the Vancouver Canucks to the Minnesota Wild. 

To understand the Hughes timeline, the Devils must understand Guerin, who is entering this offseason with a different perspective than he has in the past. The Wild have plenty of pressure heading into the season, yet Guerin seems confident that a deal will get done and the team will be in Stanley Cup contention. 

While the Minnesota GM hasn’t won a Stanley Cup and only one playoff series in his tenure, he’s been on a heater. Guerin is on a roll that allows him to enter this season with more confidence, especially since his approach is working. 

Guerin signed Kirill Kaprizov late last offseason, with the deal announced on Sept. 30. That was a tougher deal to negotiate because Kaprizov became the highest-paid player in the NHL despite playing the wing. That deal came down to the wire, but Guerin put it together. 

He also made the Hughes trade in the first place, a bold move at the time that paid off. While Hughes couldn’t choose his destination, he had a strong say in how he responded following his trade, and it was his best hockey since his Norris Trophy 2023-24 season. Guerin made the deal confident that the defenseman wanted to be there and buy in for a Wild team that’s gone all in. And his play reflected his desire to stay in Minnesota, at least for the short term. 

Guerin was the GM of the USA hockey team that won the Gold Medal at the Olympics. He took criticism for his team-building decisions, including leaving Jason Robertson, Lane Hutson, and Cole Caufield off the roster, but his strategy paid off. Plus, he won that Gold with both Jack and Quinn Hughes on the team, which is a bond that gives him more confidence in this round of negotiations. 

Plus, Guerin won the Jim Gregory Award as the GM of the year. The award reflects the respect he has around the league. Add it all up, and he enters this season more confident than ever before. 

It’s well documented that Quinn wants to play with his brothers. With Jack and Luke on the Devils, they have the edge, but it’s not a given that he’ll join them right away. There’s a good chance he teams up with his brothers, specifically Jack, in the 2030 offseason, in Minnesota, New Jersey, or anywhere else.

Guerin wants to meet Hughes halfway. He wants to win, and Guerin can make the argument that the Wild are in a better position to do so, both this season and the next three. Hughes wants to play with his brothers, and he can do so with a deal that aligns with Jack. The Cale Makar $20.5 million average annual value contract is a reference, and both sides will meet somewhere close to the record-breaking deal while still having enough cap space to add talent to an already contending team. 

Even if Hughes refuses to sign, a message that he’s leaving at the end of the season, there’s a good chance Guerin keeps him and doesn’t trade him. Guerin is one of the most aggressive GMs in the NHL, and his track record suggests he’ll go all in, knowing this season is his best chance to win the Cup. 

It’s easy to say that the Devils must ignore the noise and plan for a season without Hughes. It’s easier said than done, especially since they tried last season. The reality is that the Devils must remain patient, even for a new GM in Sunny Mehta, who has kicked off the ground running with a surplus of moves. 

The Devils, Mehta specifically, must plan for an extension. He must keep that possibility open. If the Wild extend Hughes to a three-year deal, the contest for the Devils is to have a better outlook in a few seasons to win a Cup than the Wild, or any team that makes sense for the star defenseman. 

A short-term deal also might not be the worst thing for the Devils either. If the Hughes deal happens with the Wild, the Devils will have more resources to upgrade their roster and make it more appealing to him in a few years. 

When Mehta took over, he kept the door open to make a splash. Presumably, it was to land Hughes. However, an extension would let him use the depth he built recently to acquire a player like Connor Hellebuyck or Dylan Larkin. It’s unlikely, but something the Mehta must be prepared to do, especially if he’s looking to convince Hughes that the Devils are in the best spot to contend in both the short and long term.