Quinn Hughes has given John Hynes and the Minnesota Wild a strong indication that he wants to remain with the organization.
That's the latest word from Wild insider Michael Russo, who reported that Minnesota remains confident its star defenseman will eventually sign a long-term extension.
The speculation around Hughes has been hard to ignore. The New Jersey Devils have regularly surfaced because his brothers, Jack Hughes and Luke Hughes, are already there.
But Russo's reporting points Minnesota in a different direction. Hughes' camp reportedly met face-to-face with general manager Bill Guerin in Detroit, continuing discussions that date back to early June.
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The message coming from Hughes has apparently remained consistent through those conversations. Minnesota believes he wants to stay rather than test another destination.
Russo made the Wild's position clear: “The Wild are still convinced that he is signing, he's given them every indication that he plans to extend.”
Quinn Hughes extension comes down to the price
The bigger issue now appears to be money, not whether Hughes wants to wear a Wild sweater beyond his current contract.
Russo reported that Minnesota expects the eventual extension to exceed the $17 million annual figure Kirill Kaprizov received last offseason. That changes the financial discussion considerably for Guerin.
Hughes became eligible to sign an extension on July 1. With training camp scheduled to open September 18, the Wild have a natural deadline approaching if both sides want to remove the contract talk from the locker room.
For Hynes, keeping Hughes would secure the centerpiece of Minnesota's blue line and remove a major distraction before the season begins.
For Guerin, the challenge is finding the number that keeps Hughes committed without letting negotiations drag into a daily storyline once camp opens.
And for Wild fans watching the New Jersey speculation, Russo's report offers the clearest indication yet that Hughes isn't positioning himself for an exit.
The contract still has to be signed. But Minnesota believes Hughes has already made his preferred destination clear.
Will Quinn Hughes sign a long\-term extension with the Minnesota Wild?
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