Minnesota Wild

Contract News on Hughes Means Wild Have to Nail Trade Protection

The latest report about the Wild and their contract talks with Quinn Hughes means the team has to get the trade protection part correct.

by
NHL Trade Talk
July 28, 2026

According to Michael Russo of The Athletic, the Minnesota Wild and defenseman Quinn Hughes are set to sit down and talk contract. Hoping to work out the terms of a longer extension, it sounds like this is leaning more towards being a shorter-term deal that gives Hughes flexibility and a chance to walk himself into an even bigger payday.

He writes:

“Believe Bill Guerin will be meeting with Quinn Hughes and his camp in Michigan today/this week. As we’ve long reported, Wild want to go 5-8 years (7-year max term after Sept. 16 in new CBA). 3-year extension still makes most sense for Quinn so he can align with Jack’s deal in NJ”

This is seemingly both good and bad news for the Wild. It sounds like Hughes is open to staying. It also sounds like he’s only open to staying as long as his brother is locked up in New Jersey. That could mean an automatic exit if the Wild can’t somehow find a way to add Jack to the roster via trade, or sign both players in free agency at the end of the 2029-30 season.

This doesn’t automatically exclude the Wild from the running on both players. What it likely means though, is that the Hughes brothers have talked it out and they’ll be looking to join forces somewhere. It’s more likely New Jersey given that Luke Hughes is signed there until 2032.

Are the Wild Better Trading Quinn Hughes?

If Guerin knows that Hughes’ stay is only temporary, what does that mean for the defenseman’s future in Minnesota? It could mean that the Wild start gauging the market on a trade, and maybe as early as the 2028-29 season.

This could give Minnesota a chance to load up and make a run with Hughes in the fold. It could also give them runway to try and pry Jack out of New Jersey via trade. If both things fail to materialize, Quinn will likely be on the move.

It will be intriguing to see how the Wild navigate trade protection in the extension, especially knowing that Quinn is looking to align the timing of his deal with his brother.

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