Minnesota's worst-case Quinn Hughes scenario is starting to feel real after latest update
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There is no point in sugarcoating the situation anymore: Minnesota Wild fans need to start panicking.
Over a month has passed since extension eligibility opened, and the silence coming out of St. Paul is absolutely deafening.
Anyone holding out hope that Bill Guerin would quietly lock up Quinn Hughes to an eight-year deal before training camp needs to snap back to reality.
"Quinn Hughes likely leaving Minnesota Wild."
Bill Guerin Is Out of Time and Out of Options
Hughes has one year left on that $7.8 million bargain, and the player holds all the leverage.
Zero trade protection on paper does not mean a thing when an elite Norris-caliber defenceman can simply tell prospective suitors, "Forget it, no extension."
That instantly kills trade value. If Guerin lets this circus drag into the regular season, Hughes will almost certainly freeze contract talks until next summer.
At that point, front office management turns into babysitting an asset that loses value by the week.
The New Jersey Writing Is Already on the Wall
The entire league knows the pull to play with Jack and Luke in New Jersey is real.
Why on earth would the Devils gut their pipeline right now when the superstar can simply walk through the front door as a free agent?
Unless a dark horse like the Detroit Red Wings decides to gamble big on bringing the Michigan native back home, Minnesota is backed into a terrifying corner.
Guerin might have to eat a massive loss just to avoid getting completely skunked next July.
This has no doubt gotten every NHL team watching the situation closely.
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Previously on House Of Hockey