Wild get horrible news involving Quinn Hughes, and it's Cale Makar's fault

The Colorado Avalanche signed Makar to an eight-year, $163.2 million extension worth $20.4 million annually, making him the highest-paid blue liner in league history. The deal kicks in for the 2027-28 season and runs through 2034-35.

For Minnesota, the timing could not be worse. The Wild have spent seven weeks trying to lock up Quinn Hughes, the 26-year-old superstar they acquired from Vancouver in a blockbuster trade.

Hughes became extension eligible on July 1, and Minnesota has been negotiating steadily with his agent, Pat Brisson, ever since.

Now Makar's number gives Hughes and his camp an obvious benchmark to point to at the table.

Hughes is coming off a season where he posted 76 combined points between Vancouver and Minnesota, plus 15 more in the playoffs.

He is widely considered one of the two best defensemen in hockey alongside Makar, and league insiders already expected his next deal to approach or top $20 million a year even before Colorado's number became public.

Minnesota general manager Bill Guerin gave up Marco Rossi, Zeev Buium, Liam Ohgren and a first-round pick to land Hughes, so letting him walk simply is not an option.

Money aside, term is still the real question mark. Minnesota reportedly wants a deal in the five- to eight-year range to anchor its blue line long term.

Hughes, meanwhile, has been connected to a shorter three-year pact that would line up with brother Jack Hughes' contract in New Jersey, fueling speculation about an eventual family reunion.

With the new CBA capping deals at seven years after September 16, the Wild have a shrinking window to get their preferred structure done.

Makar's extension does not just raise Hughes' price. The extension raises the price for every top-pairing defenseman set to hit the market behind him.

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