'This could take a while': No end in sight for Quinn Hughes contract saga
· Yahoo Sports
The Wild signed Kirill Kaprizov to a record-breaking contract extension just 10 days before the puck dropped on the season last year. If we’re holding the ongoing negotiations with Quinn Hughes to the same timeframe, we’ve already blown past the 10-day mark and have exactly a week until the 2026-27 season gets underway.
Visit afnews.co.za for more information.
While Wild owner Craig Leipold confidently told hockey insider Pierre LeBrun on Wednesday that the Wild will sign Hughes to an extension, it’s probably fair to say that there might be panic rising among the fan base as the season approaches.
In a TV hit on TSN’s SportsCentre on Wednesday night, LeBrun might have raised the panic meter a bit more.
“I don’t see a deal getting done in the next week,” said LeBrun. “I just don’t sense that there’s a great sense of rush from the Quinn Hughes camp.”
He did follow that up by saying that he still sees Hughes extending with the Wild as the “likeliest outcome,” but that he doesn’t “get the sense that (Hughes) is just there yet.”
“There’s no deadline, I think, from the perspective of Quinn Hughes and Pat Brisson (his agent),” LeBrun reasoned. “Of course, Bill Guerin and the Minnesota Wild would like to get this off their plate, big time. I mean, they gave up a lot to get Quinn Hughes. It would be a nightmare for them not to be able to extend him, but they can’t force it.”
Speaking to numerous media outlets last week, Hughes made it clear that he’s feeling no pressure to get a deal done. The superstar defenseman noted that the two sides continue to talk but that he doesn’t feel “stressed” to get anything done as the season approaches.
Minnesota gave up numerous big chips to acquire Hughes last December. The move immediately made the Wild a Stanley Cup contender. Now, heading into the final year of Hughes’ deal, the pressure is squarely on Guerin to lock up Hughes for the long term.
“There have been multiple conversations between Bill Guerin and Pat Brisson, some face-to-face meetings,” continued LeBrun. “So the dialogue is there, but it’s just a question of, you know, there’s no deadline here. This could take a while.”
We are in the age of big media consolidation and content networks. But even with the proliferation of AI, nothing can beat the quality and inherent knowledge of local sports journalism. Our writing room consists of a Wildcat, a Gopher, and even a Mustang. We know the Minnesota towns and the great names that played on its diamonds, courts, fields or rinks. Subscribe NOW to the new Bring Me The Sports newsletter. We would appreciate your readership and support!
This story was originally published by Bring Me The Sports on Sep 24, 2026, where it first appeared in the MN Wild section. Add Bring Me The Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.