Quinn Hughes seemingly responds to Connor Hellebuyck trade to New Jersey

According to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, Quinn Hughes has not settled on whether he will stay in Minnesota long term, even after another check-in this week.

LeBrun's read is the middle ground nobody wanted to hear. Hughes has not shut the door on an extension, and he has not walked through it either. In LeBrun's words, the star defenseman is “simply undecided, period.”

The clock is a problem. Hughes is playing the final year of a contract with a $7.85 million cap hit, and the regular season is already underway.

The Wild paid a steep price last December, sending Zeev Buium, Marco Rossi, Liam Ohgren and a first-round pick to Vancouver.

He delivered, putting up 76 points in 74 games before adding 15 points in 11 playoff games during a second-round run.

Money is not expected to be the obstacle. Cale Makar reset the market with an eight-year extension at $20.4 million per season, and Minnesota has reportedly made it clear it can top that number. Owner Craig Leipold has also publicly insisted the team will get this done.

What keeps this story alive is the family angle. Jack and Luke Hughes both play for the New Jersey Devils, and earlier reporting tied Quinn's hesitation to a desire to share a lineup with them down the road.

A shorter contract that lines up his free agency with Jack's would keep that option open, which may explain why a long-term signature has not appeared.

For now, the Wild can only wait. Hughes has said he feels no pressure to finish a deal early and likes his fit in Minnesota, and the team is a legitimate contender.

Still, every week without a signature adds tension heading toward the trade deadline, and the rest of the league will be watching closely. The next update from LeBrun could shape the entire season.

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