Quinn Hughes Continues to Frustrate Wild with Leisurely Contract Tactic

The TSN Insider Trading crew discussed the latest on Quinn Hughes and the Minnesota Wild as the team gets set to kick of its 2026-27 regular season without the defenseman signed to a new contract. Tensions are high, even if the Wild are playing down the stress level.

Pierre LeBrun noted that the Wild are taking a patient approach, but Hughes isn’t making their lives easy.

---

I think the Wild are still being patient, reports LeBrun. He added that they feel they still have a lot of time to figure this out. However, he noted a sense of surprise and frustration building. “But let’s be real: if you had told GM Bill Guerin three months ago that Quinn Hughes would not be extended by opening night, I think he would have been surprised and disappointed.”

Why Isn’t Hughes Making an Extension a Priority?

The reason this isn’t done yet is that, as Hughes’ camp explained it to LeBrun, there’s no rush to make this decision. He could absolutely still extend with the Wild at some point, but he’s just not at the stage where he’s ready to give his agent the green light to keep negotiating.

The Wild and the agent can and have talked, but nothing gets done for real until the player himself says, “I’m in that place.”

“Until that happens, yes, there’s anxiety in the Twin Cities. There should be,” noted the insider. The Wild want this done. Hughes doesn’t really seem to care. It could get taken care of, but the longer this drags out, the more Guerin has to go from admitting this is a big decision for Hughes to admitting he might have to gauge the trade market.

How long before this gets to a point where the fans start to grow annoyed? Hughes might not be worried, and Guerin might be passing it off as no big deal. The fans? They’re starting to grow weary.

Next: Goalies Are Voodoo — So Why Is Connor Hellebuyck Still on the Market?