Quinn Hughes still has not signed with the Minnesota Wild, and money is not the problem.
That's the read from Chris Johnston on TSN this week, and it reframes the entire standoff.
"I don't think there are any restrictions on their end in terms of making him a very wealthy man," Johnston said of Minnesota's posture.
"But he has to be willing to sign it," Johnston added. "And at least to this point I don't think that has been committed to."
That's a meaningful distinction. This isn't a negotiation stuck on dollars. It's a player who genuinely hasn't decided what he wants.
Johnston described Hughes as working through real indecision all summer, not posturing for leverage.
"There's a desire that we've known for years to one day play with his brothers," Johnston said, pointing to the pull toward New Jersey.
Why this makes Minnesota's situation even harder to plan around
But Johnston also noted Hughes genuinely enjoyed his time in Minnesota after the trade brought him over partway through last season.
That split matters. He's not describing a player desperate to leave. He's describing someone torn between two real options.
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Hughes put up 76 points in 74 games last season, then added 15 more in 11 playoff games while logging nearly 31 minutes a night.
Production like that usually makes a contract decision easier, not harder. Here it seems to be doing the opposite.
Johnston said Hughes has been leaning on people he trusts and doing real soul-searching rather than running out the clock deliberately.
That framing shifts blame away from Minnesota's front office and onto something GM Bill Guerin genuinely can't control.
Guerin has said as much himself before.
"We can't make him sign anything," he's noted publicly.
If Johnston's read is right, no offer, no matter how rich, actually resolves this until Hughes settles his own future in his head.
Is that more or less concerning for Minnesota than a straightforward money dispute? Harder to negotiate against indecision than a number.
Training camp approaches with the answer still unclear, and apparently no amount of Minnesota's money changes that timeline.
Is Quinn Hughes' indecision actually worse for the Wild than a straightforward money dispute?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Maple Leafs' top prospect could leave for Europe, and the decision won't be easy
