The New Jersey Devils had a chance to get Quinn Hughes, and they failed. Whether it was Tom Fitzgerald’s inability to move money off the books or his lack of desire to trade Simon Nemec or another great prospect, the move was reportedly on the table, and the Devils didn’t get it done.
The Minnesota Wild did get it done. Bill Guerin paid the premium price it took to get one of the best defensemen in the world. He lost top prospect Zeev Buium, NHL center Marco Rossi, former first-round pick Liam Ohgren, and a 2026 first-round pick. However, he got Quinn Hughes. Nobody is saying Guerin didn’t win the trade, and nobody would have said that about Fitzgerald, either.
Many Devils fans assumed that this was just delaying the inevitable. Is he really going to live in Minnesota for the foreseeable future? His brothers play in New Jersey, and a lot of his life exists in New York and Philadelphia. His summers are spent in Michigan, which isn’t close enough to Minnesota to be desirable.
Yet, when Quinn Hughes was asked in his postseason press conference whether he would be open to re-signing with the Wild, he said that he absolutely was.
Quinn Hughes: “I’m definitely open to re-signing here.” Said he really likes it here, the team, the management. Feels he can win here with #mnwild. pic.twitter.com/gPZKukwT3u
— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithNHL) May 15, 2026
And here's the full quote:
"I really like it here. I would definitely be open to re-signing. We'll see what Billy (Guerin) wants to do. Again, we're not even 36 hours removed (from being eliminated). It's a tough loss, but I'm definitely open to re-signing here."Quinn Hughes, Wild defenseman
Quinn Hughes said exactly what we expected in postseason comments
The conversation then got interesting. When asked what "factors matter" to him, he mentioned talking to his parents and his brothers, which are New Jersey Devils stars Jack and Luke Hughes.
Hughes was clear that he liked the team. He likes his teammates and the "people in the room." He mentioned that he likes head coach John Hynes and he trusts Guerin, which is huge.
On the other side, what did we expect him to say? He gave the exact details you want if you're even open to a move like that. Committing to a city and an organization requires a lot of thought and collaboration.
For now, Hughes is a member of the Minnesota Wild. Even if Elliotte Friedman's prediction that Hughes would sign a three-year deal to match his contract with Jack Hughes's, it's not worth getting worried about. The recent report that Guerin wanted Luke Hughes shows they were trying to set themselves up to build around the Hughes brothers, but they will have to wait at least six years until that's even possible.
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