Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin addressed the contract status of star defenseman Quinn Hughes during a radio interview at the Minnesota State Fair on Monday, saying the team is working to keep him and that communication has been positive.
Hughes is entering the final season of his current six-year, $47.1 million contract, and he could become an unrestricted free agent in 2027. Guerin told FOX 9 Sports Director Jim Rich that he intends to do everything in his power to prevent that from happening.
"In this job it’s what have you done for me lately? I understand that and I love it. Listen, Quinn is a massive part of our team, our fanbase is excited about him. We as hockey operations, our coaches, teammates, everybody loves Quinn. We all want him back, we’re working through it," Guerin said. "We have great lines of communication open with him, his agent. These things just take time, we’re taking all the time we have to get something done."
The comments came after Cale Makar was recently made the highest-paid player in NHL history by the Colorado Avalanche, with an annual cap hit of $20.4 million. Asked how Makar's deal might affect Hughes' negotiations, Guerin acknowledged the benchmark but suggested Hughes may have different priorities.
"There’s a bar with Cale Makar signing that contract in Colorado, but Quinn might be after different things," Guerin said. "He’s a different guy. He has a different personality and has different things in his life that are important to him. Who knows what he’s gonna want in the end."
Minnesota acquired Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks in a blockbuster trade in December of last year. He recorded 53 points in 48 regular season games with the Wild following the trade, then added 15 points in Minnesota's 11 playoff games.
The Wild's playoff run, aided by Guerin's roster moves, marked the first time in more than a decade the team won a playoff series. Guerin later won the NHL's General Manager of the Year award and helped lead Team USA to a gold medal at the Winter Olympics. When asked where his gold medal is, Guerin revealed that only players receive medals, and said he recently rewatched some of the games to relive the memories. "I don’t have one. The win is enough," Guerin said.
Guerin also drew a parallel to last year, when he was in a similar position with Kirill Kaprizov before the star forward signed one of the biggest contracts in NHL history to remain with the Wild.
At 26 years old, Hughes is a year younger than Makar and is considered among the best defensemen in the league, alongside Makar and Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets.