Forty-nine days. That’s how long it is until July 1st. Just 49 days until some very important and franchise-changing decisions come to the forefront. Free agency will begin, putting teams in a position to give some players too much money, but other players, like Connor Brown last year, could get a contract that everyone is happy with.
There are expected to be some other big decisions coming that day. The 2027 free agent class looks STACKED today. It often works out that way, but this one is particularly so. Connor McDavid tops that list, and turmoil in Edmonton could force their hand to make a trade. Nico Hischier is available to sign an extension for the Devils, and despite some unfounded rumors surrounding his availability, the Devils would be smart to re-sign him.
Some of the other big names include Alex DeBrincat, Sidney Crosby, Mark Stone, and Cale Makar. However, the one player who will be talked about most is Quinn Hughes.
The eldest Hughes brother was traded to the Minnesota Wild in Tom Fitzgerald’s biggest blunder. Bill Guerin made the huge move, sending a package including Zeev Buium and Marco Rossi to the Vancouver Canucks to make the trade happen. The Wild made the trade without a promise of an extension, but we can see Guerin going to extreme lengths to keep Hughes on the roster.
Hughes was by far the best player on the ice in this series with the Colorado Avalanche. Yes, that includes “best in the world” defenseman Cale Makar. Hughes was doing his best to carry the Wild on his back.
At 5v5, Hughes was on the ice for seven goals and just four against. Outside of Jeff Petry’s one game, that’s the best on the Wild. He finished the series averaging 30 minutes per game, which is ridiculous.
Quinn Hughes has been eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs
However, it wasn’t enough. The Colorado Avalanche pretty easily dispatched their division rival, and Quinn Hughes is now free to go start his offseason with his brothers in Michigan. Jack and Luke Hughes will be with their older brother for the next few months, and we could even see the vacation start right away. That would put the brothers together as Quinn Hughes is hearing about negotiations for his next contract.
Recently, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet predicted that Hughes would re-sign for three years, but that was before the disappointment he felt from this series. Despite the moves that the Wild made, they are not close to the Avalanche.
On the other hand, the Eastern Conference is wide open. It’s the Carolina Hurricanes, and then everyone else. Yes, we expect the Florida Panthers to return to form next season, but all of their best players are a year older, and most are coming off major injuries. The Buffalo Sabres and Montreal Canadiens are still growing despite playing for a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals, and the entire Metropolitan Division behind the Hurricanes has insane question marks.
The Devils adding Quinn Hughes makes them a contender to at least make the Final every season. Yes, we’ve heard this story every year, but Quinn Hughes gives the Devils a reason to be optimistic.
We’ll see what happens. The clock begins Wednesday night. Sunny Mehta is on the clock, and we’re not talking about the NHL Draft.
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