The New Jersey Devils have been having fun with the Minnesota Wild this offseason, and it’s all because of one situation. Quinn Hughes does not have a contract extension in place after most said it was a formality.
One of those people who claimed that the Hughes contract would be relatively simple was the most prominent insider in hockey: Elliotte Friedman. He was the reason most expected this negotiation to be a formality. Even though he presented it as what he “thinks” will happen, when Friedman speaks, the world listens.
Right before the Wild’s season ended, Friedman said that he expected Hughes to sign a three-year deal worth $18 million per season. Since then, so much has happened. The Wild’s owner said that a deal was essentially in the bag, and they were just trying to figure out whether it will be a three-year or five-year deal. Quinn Hughes spent his entire summer at the hip of Jack and Luke Hughes, with most of that time spent in New Jersey. Wild GM Bill Guerin visited the eldest Hughes brother in person twice, and neither time did he leave with an agreement formalized.
Friedman has been away since the end of the free agent frenzy period, but he came out of his hole, beard and all, to give an update to NHL Network. He spoke about multiple topics, including the Detroit Red Wings’ GM search, but his comments about Hughes were interesting, mostly because he was so matter-of-fact earlier this offseason.
"I will worry about this if it's not done by the start of the season." 😳@FriedgeHNIC stopped by #NHLTonight to provide the latest on Quinn Hughes and a potential contract extension with the @mnwild.
— NHL Media (@NHLMedia) August 7, 2026
📺: NHL Tonight on NHL Network pic.twitter.com/UAcTWSGJ2s
There’s a lot to assess here. For one, they talked about how the numbers have likely gone up after the Leo Carlsson and Macklin Celebrini deals. He also talked about spending the entire summer partying with his brother(s). And then, he revealed the biggest fact of his statement.
"I will worry about this (Hughes' extension) if it's not done by the start of the season. That's just my personal feeling. If it's not done by the start of the season, I'll start to say "What's going on here?". "Elliotte Friedman, Sportsnet reporter
Friedman went on to say that he thought it was going to be done by now, and that the delay has surprised him. However, he also pointed out that pressure to get deals done and stay on timelines has pushed deals over the finish line in the past. The start of the season is the next checkpoint in the negotiating process.
If the Wild can't get a deal done with Hughes to start the season, it will be a cloud over everything they do. For a team looking to make the Stanley Cup for the first time in franchise history, it's not something they will want to do.
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