Quinn Hughes' contract situation is giving the Devils reason to keep watching
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Quinn Hughes still has no extension with the Minnesota Wild, and every week that passes without a deal makes the New Jersey Devils harder to ignore.
Training camp is closing in and Hughes is entering the final year of his contract at a $7.85 million cap hit, with unrestricted free agency waiting on July 1, 2027.
Extension talks opened back on July 1 and early reports floated numbers in the $16 to $18 million range, but a face to face meeting in Michigan between Wild GM Bill Guerin and Hughes camp came and went without an announcement.
Guerin has kept the tone measured publicly, saying the sides remain in contact and that these things take time given how big the decision is for everyone involved.
Why the Devils keep coming up
New Jersey has something no other team can offer.
Jack Hughes is locked up through 2029-30, Luke Hughes is signed long term, and reuniting all three brothers has been an open secret around the league for years.
The Wild gave up a massive haul to land Hughes from Vancouver, including Marco Rossi, Zeev Buium, Liam Ohgren and a first round pick, and he rewarded that bet with 53 points in 48 games plus a huge playoff run.
Minnesota didn't make that trade to flip him a year later.
What a trade could cost New Jersey
If the Wild do move on, expect them to target controllable, near NHL ready pieces.
Names like Dawson Mercer, Seamus Casey and multiple first round picks have already surfaced in mock scenarios.
Nothing is imminent, but the pressure is building fast, and if Hughes is still unsigned once the regular season starts, this becomes one of the defining storylines of the year.
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