Quinn Hughes has yet to make a decision about his future in the NHL. While the Minnesota Wild have made their interest in an extension clear, the star defenseman has been less expressive about his own wishes. One thing is clear, though: the possibility of playing alongside his brothers, Jack and Luke, is a big motivation for Quinn.
Thus, that is something to keep an eye on as Quinn Hughes makes up his mind. According to a report, the eldest sibling is keen on re-signing in Minnesota, but only if he gets to choose the term of his contract, putting him on track to become an unrestricted free agent in the same year Jack will become one in the NHL.
“I have believed that Quinn Hughes is going to sign [a three-year, $18 million AAV contract] in Minnesota,” Elliotte Friedman stated on NHL Tonight. “People are starting to wonder, what’s going on here. I don’t have any panic about it yet.”
Three-year deal would align Quinn and Jack’s contracts
With Quinn Hughes entering the final year of his six-year, $47.1 million contract, he is set to become a UFA in the summer of 2027. Thus, if he were to put pen to paper on a three-year extension with the Wild, he would postpone his UFA status until 2030.
Jack and Quinn Hughes, U.S. Olympic gold medalists.
That year is far from random. Jack Hughes will become a UFA in the summer of 2030, as well. The New Jersey Devils‘ star is signed to an eight-year, $64 million contract running through the 2029-30 campaign.
If Friedman’s estimation is correct and Quinn signs to stay in Minnesota for the next three seasons, then he and Jack could hit the market in 2030 determined to find a team that will have them both. Quinn will be 30 years old in the summer of 2030, while Jack will have recently turned 29.
Other alternatives
There is also the possibility that Quinn decides next season is his last in Minnesota and hopes to sign with the Devils in free agency, getting to play with Jack and Luke as well. If that were the case, the Wild would likely trade Hughes—Quinn has no trade protection—before the deadline to get something in return.
The Devils would be among the suitors, but they could also let Quinn be a rental for another playoff team and go after him in free agency. However, reports state that Quinn wants to show his gratitude to the Wild for pursuing him when he asked out of Vancouver and offer his services for a few more years in the Twin Cities.
Options abound, but it’s clear the Hughes brothers saga will be one to watch as the 2026-27 NHL season looms closer. If Hughes is unsigned by the time the puck drops, then the drama will truly skyrocket.
