Elliotte Friedman confirms the worst for the Wild amid Quinn Hughes negotiations

The Sportsnet insider revisited his Quinn Hughes prediction Friday on NHL Tonight, admitting the summer's record-breaking contracts have complicated his original math.

Friedman had long pegged Hughes for a three-year, $18 million AAV deal with the Minnesota Wild. That forecast, he says, is now outdated.

Carlsson's extension with Anaheim and Makar's record eight-year, $20.4 million AAV deal in Colorado reset the market for elite talent at forward and defense alike.

With those benchmarks now in place, Friedman suggested Hughes could realistically push past his original $18 million target, floating the idea that a number closer to $20 million would not shock anyone following the negotiations.

Hughes remains unsigned less than a month before Minnesota opens its season, but Friedman downplayed any notion of a stalemate.

He pointed instead to a negotiation adjusting in real time to a shifting comparables market, rather than any disconnect between the two sides.

Friedman also floated term as a factor working in Minnesota's favor, suggesting Hughes may not be seeking a lengthy commitment given his brother Jack's situation with the Devils.

General manager Bill Guerin has maintained he has stayed in regular contact with Hughes' camp throughout the process.

With training camp approaching, the Wild face increasing pressure to lock up their franchise defenseman before puck drop, even as the price tag continues climbing beyond initial projections.

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