Quinn Hughes in no rush to sign new contract with Wild before camp

LAS VEGAS -- Quinn Hughes is in no rush to sign his next contract before the Minnesota Wild open training camp.

The 26-year-old defenseman has one year left on a six-year, $47.1 million contract ($7.85 million average annual value) he signed with the Vancouver Canucks on Oct. 3, 2021. Hughes has been eligible to sign a new contract with the Wild since July 1 and can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2027.

"This is going to be done whenever I feel like it needs to be done," Hughes said at the NHL/NHLPA North American Player Media Tour on Wednesday. "I don't feel backed up against a wall. I'm very thoughtful. I want to make sure I'm taking my time on everything and make sure I'm making a decision that is going to be good for everyone. That's kind of where my head has been at.

"We haven't had that many conversations just because of how I wanted my summer to go in terms of being fresh and resetting and enjoying and training and being around friends and family. As we get going here I'm sure it'll heat up, but I don't feel backed up against a wall where I have to sign before camp."

Hughes said he believes in the Wild, that he has a strong relationship with the coaching staff (led by John Hynes) and general manager Bill Guerin, enjoys playing with defense partner Brock Faber and thinks Minnesota has been "a great fit for me."

"Of course it's a spot I could see myself staying," he said. "I mean, obviously."

But he also said he won't feel pressure if the negotiations for a contract extension carry into the regular season.

"It's not going to weigh over me personally," Hughes said. "I mean, I'm excited to play hockey. I think if I can stay healthy I'm going to have my best season. I feel great. So I don't have it weighing over me, I don't think."

Guerin said last month that he's "confident" the team will re-sign Hughes to a contract, which would begin next season.

"That's the luxury I have of being on the inside," Guerin said on "Judd's Hockey Show" on SKOR North Radio from the Minnesota State Fair on Aug. 31. "There's always the other side of it. I can be confident, you can be insecure, you just have to work through the process of the negotiations, figuring out what the player wants, what it will take to keep him, make him happy."

NHL training camps open in a week. Hughes can sign an eight-year contract with the Wild through Sept. 15. The new Collective Bargaining Agreement kicks in on Sept. 16, and when it does, the maximum term for players re-signing with their current teams will go down to seven years, and six years for players signing as unrestricted free agents.

Hughes is expected to command an annual salary similar to or greater than the League-record $20.4 million AAV that defenseman Cale Makar received in the eight-year, $163.2 million contract he signed with the Colorado Avalanche on Aug. 28.

"I mean, me and Billy are working through it right now and same with (agent) Pat (Brisson)," Hughes said. "There's been an open line of communication. I think last summer was probably a lot, it was a heavy summer, and then I got traded and then we had the Olympics and I moved and we had Minnesota in the playoffs. I feel like in the last 16-18 months there was a lot of stuff going on, and I think this summer was really good for me. It was light.

"… Obviously, I trained extremely hard and I feel like I'm in top shape, but I guess as we're getting going now, I got to Minnesota a couple days ago, we'll start figuring it out."

There has been plenty of speculation that Hughes prefers a three-year contract because that would enable him to potentially hit unrestricted free agency at the same time as his brother, New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes.

Jack has four years remaining on his contract with the Devils.

Quinn didn't want to publicly discuss details that could be in the contract extension.

"I'm not going to get into that," he said. "It's between me and Billy and ultimately we'll figure it out and you guys will find out at that point."

The Hughes brothers helped Team USA win the gold medal at the Winter Olympics in Milan in February. They have been open about their desire to play together in the NHL.

"Yeah, I think that, you know, we've always wanted to play with each other," Jack said Wednesday. "Winning in Milan was an unbelievable feat that we could do together, but I don't think (Quinn) is going to sacrifice what's best for him for us to play together. I mean, we'll see. We'll see what he does."

Quinn, who won the Norris Trophy with the Canucks as the best defenseman in the NHL in 2023-24, was acquired by the Wild in a blockbuster trade on Dec. 12. 

He had 53 points (five goals, 48 assists) in 48 regular-season games for the Wild, who defeated the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference First Round last season before falling to the Avalanche in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

Hughes had 15 points (four goals, 11 assists) in 11 postseason games, tied for the team lead with Kirill Kaprizov. 

"What he's done to our team and the changes he's made with him just coming in and being himself, the jump we took, I think was huge," Minnesota forward Matt Boldy said. "Obviously I'd love to play with him for as long as possible and whatever happens happens, but it's unfortunately not up to me."

Boldy said he doesn't think Hughes' contract situation, if still unresolved by the time training camp opens, will impact how the Wild approach preparing for the start of the season.

"I think it's set aside, honestly," Boldy said. "Everyone has gone through contract stuff all to different extents. Obviously, Quinn's is a pretty big deal. We have him for this whole season at least. It's nice to talk about or throw him a joke every once in a while, but I don't think it hangs over anyone to be honest. It's his business. He deserves to get paid and be happy with his decision, and obviously that's up to him. As his teammate, I want him to sign but as his friend, I want the best for him."