Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, the NHL might see a newly highest-paid player this summer.
Yes, they already gave a massive pay grade to star Russian forward Kirill Kaprizov, who makes $17MM a season until 2034, but GM Bill Guerin wants to ensure he can re-sign top defenseman Quinn Hughes as well ahead of next season. So much so, according to Michael Russo of The Athletic, both parties are meeting this week to discuss that very next contract.
The 26-year-old has a year left on the six-year, $47.1MM deal he signed with the Vancouver Canucks in 2021. He ended this past season with 76 points, 53 of those with Minnesota in 48 games, adding 15 points in 11 playoff games, all after they traded key young pieces like Marco Rossi, Zeev Buium, and other assets to acquire him.
Back in May, Hughes mentioned in his end-of-season availability that he is open to extending with Minnesota, which he is now able to do a month after the July 1 doors gave him that eligibility. Any form of inking a new contract would be beneficial to the Wild as they are trying to ensure a Western Conference Final bid in their current contending window, especially after the trade it took to acquire him.
Hughes is a once-in-a-blue-moon player for the Wild that they need in their quest to lift the franchise’s first cup.
Russo added that the Wild are looking to sign Hughes within a 5-8 year range. If Minnesota can manage that maximum eight years within this week, it would be integral, considering that term won’t be allowed past Sept. 16, when the new CBA kicks in, where the maximum term allowed to sign is 7 years.
But Quinn could also opt for shorter than what the Wild are looking for. Many have speculated on the unification of the Hughes brothers since each has entered the NHL. Luke and Jack Hughes are already New Jersey Devils, and Quinn may look at the contract of Jack, who is signed for three more years in New Jersey, and try to match unrestricted free agency status in 2030, where the two can join forces on a team of their liking.
However, the Devils hold the card of Luke Hughes, who’s signed until 2032, and that may be the ace up their sleeve that could see the trio all together in red and white.
It should also be noted that of the largest contracts signed this offseason, nearly half in the top ten highest cap hits, will last for five years or less. A trend that is likely to continue thanks to the mayhem this offseason presented with the Leo Carlsson offer sheet.
There’s no doubt that the salary will be among the NHL’s best, especially with top defenseman counterpart Cale Makar due for his next contract. Hughes might wait until then to see what money he wants, but the AAV will surpass that of Bowen Byram‘s annual $12.5MM paycheck, inked with the Blackhawks. Of note, since 2020, among defensemen, only Makar and Hughes have surpassed the 90-point mark per 82 games three times in that span, with Makar nearly having four if not for 90 points/82 games in 2022-23.
So could we see $20MM? Depending on how things progress, it isn’t unlikely given the pedigree that both blueliners have built for themselves.
Sooner rather than later would be what the Wild want in these contract negotiations; continuing to have this loom over both sides’ heads would only ramp up the speculation into the 2026-27 season and create angst. Nonetheless, Minnesota has money, almost $46MM in cap space for 2027-28, enough where they will need to figure out what to do with the expiring contracts of Ryan Hartman, Blake Coleman, captain Jared Spurgeon, and standout young goaltender Jesper Wallstedt.