Another day and another sign of trouble with the Minnesota Wild and Quinn Hughes. While much of everything has been speculation at this point, the daily conversation between Wild fans and New Jersey Devils fans has been exhausting for some, but the fact of the matter is that every day without a Quinn Hughes deal signed is one day closer he gets to free agency.
It’s hard to imagine he would look at the landscape of the league and choose a different team than the Wild or Devils.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman has been the pinnacle of NHL rumors for years. If Elliotte doesn’t confirm it, then consider it unconfirmed. Even if the team confirms a story, sometimes we still check Friedman’s timeline just to make sure we’re not being punked.
So, when Friedman came out earlier this offseason to say his gut was telling him that Hughes was going to re-sign in Minnesota on a three-year extension worth $18 million per season, the numbers were too specific to just be speculation (despite what Friedman says).
Now, we don’t know what information Friedman got to come to that conclusion, but a few things have changed the narrative since that conversation. Most importantly, Quinn Hughes has spent the entire summer with his brothers, Jack and Luke Hughes. They have trained together in New Jersey, Michigan, and Florida. They enjoyed the World Cup Final with Jessica Alba in a suite at MetLife Stadium (also in New Jersey). They partied on the Jersey Shore with celebrities and enjoyed the nightlife that comes with being a train ride away from New York City (even if they didn’t always get the Jalen Brunson treatment).
One thing he hasn’t done is take a flight to Minnesota. There is no evidence of him being in Minnesota this offseason, despite saying he was “looking forward” to checking out the city.
Also, the Leo Carlsson contract changed the foundation of the league. Signing a deal that pays him $18 million per season despite not even being a top-10 center in this league shows that contracts will not be treated like they used to be. If Carlsson is getting $18 million, then surely, Quinn Hughes should get closer to the max, which is just under $21 million per season.
It’s possible Bill Guerin does not want to get to $20 million for a guy not willing to commit to more than three years. And that’s how we got to Tuesday.
Elliotte Friedman is surprised by the state of the Quinn Hughes negotiations
Just weeks after Friedman said he wouldn't be worried about the Quinn Hughes contract negotiations unless they took him into the regular season, he shared his concern about the state of things on the latest version of the 32 Thoughts Podcast.
Friedman talked about how this negotiation has surprised him. But what really shocked everyone is when Friedman said he didn't think that Hughes's camp and the Wild were talking at all. It was a quick comment, but it's what everyone is hanging on to.
He also talked about the possibility that Hughes is waiting on Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar to sign to set the market. If Makar signs for $20 million and he signed for $18 million, he might think he looks like a sucker or he was used as bait.
So, either way, it's not good news for Wild fans. Some might argue it's not news at all, but that is a hard argument to make. When the biggest insider in the sport says that no talks are happening, then it's time to worry. It could pick up in camp and the deal could get done in an hour, but if we're Sunny Mehta, we're picking up the phone.
Add us as a preferred source on Google