Quinn Hughes interested in re-signing with Wild as early as this offseason

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Stacy Revere / Getty Images Share articleST. PAUL, Minn — Bill Guerin had about a 10-minute exit meeting with Quinn Hughes Friday morning at Grand Casino Arena. And when the two emerged, the president of hockey operations and general manager was asked if he got a deal done with the superstar defenseman, who can sign as early as July 1, heading into the final year of his deal. “Yeah, $950K a year,” Guerin quipped. “I mean, a week.” Money shouldn’t be an object when it comes to the Wild trying to extend Hughes when he’s eligible. The Wild are obviously planning on keeping Hughes here, whether that’s three years or eight years, as they’ve seen how the former Norris Trophy winner has transformed them into a Stanley Cup contender. But, more importantly, it does seem like Hughes is truly interested in staying here, saying in an ideal world, they get something done this summer. “I can say that I really like it here,” Hughes said. “I love the team. I love the city and the fans. Just being in that locker room, it’s a special group. Would definitely be open to re-signing here with the guys that we have in the room and just the people we have in the room. A lot of trust with Billy, as well, and love (coach John Hynes) and (associate coach Jack Capuano) and the coaching staff. “I just think it’s a great spot, great situation for myself.” Hughes said he plans to take some time to think and chat with his family, parents Jim and Ellen, along with his two brothers, Jack and Luke, both of whom play for the New Jersey Devils. He also plans to spend a little more time in Minnesota before heading to his offseason home in Michigan, knowing how important it is to get to know a place he may live for a longer period. “I’ve spent some time here obviously playing the Gophers, and I always loved coming here and playing them,” said Hughes, the former University of Michigan star. “And then I’ve had buddies here I’ve visited in the summer, Brock Boeser, Jack Becker and some of these other guys. So, I saw it a little bit in the summers, but I think it’s an amazing state. So passionate about hockey. I love that there’s other sports teams here, too. Be able to go to some of the nice restaurants downtown. So, I mean, there’s still lots to see. Like to spend maybe a little bit longer than I normally would after a season here and just kind of enjoy the city a little bit. But, yeah, I like it. I enjoy it.” The most important thing to Hughes, as he’s said since getting acquired in mid-December, is winning. He’s never gone beyond the second round in the Stanley Cup playoffs, but he is coming off winning a gold medal with Team USA at the Olympics. The Wild’s loss in five games to the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Avalanche didn’t seem to sway him from how good he thinks this group can be. “It’s tough,” Hughes said. “You play the third-best team in the league in the first round. You play the best team in the league in the second round. I think that the Dallas series was a massive win for us. They were a great team and tough to beat … and then we ran into a really good Colorado team that frankly has been in the mix the last five, six, seven years and battle-tested, and they were the better team. Obviously, missing (Jonas Brodin) and (Joel Eriksson Ek), in hindsight, that really hurts. When you’re a player in those situations, you try not to think about it and you just do everything you can control, which is playing and missing those two guys really hurt. I’m not saying we would have won the series, but obviously they’re a big part of our team and it’s just a credit to Colorado. They were really good.” Hughes said getting a deal done a year ahead of free agency would be “better,” but he’d be ready to go no matter what if he went into the season without a new contract. Guerin and the Wild will no doubt try to get a jump on this, as it’s a no-brainer on their end. They’ve invested so much in Hughes, having given up Zeev Buium, Marco Rossi, Liam Ohgren and a first-round pick to Vancouver for him. And Hughes, who said at the time of the trade he’d always remember how Guerin “sacked up” and offered a huge package for him, said his relationship with Guerin will help. “I have a lot of trust with Billy, respect him,” Hughes said. “ I think the way he’s building a championship team or the players that we need. That’s how I view things. And he’s a great person, too. Just takes care of the players. It’s a great organization. I mean, I want to win, right? So, he’s going to, he wants to win more than anyone. I mean, I don’t think there’s many people more disappointed than him right now. He’s going to do everything he can to make us a championship team, and for me, that makes me excited.” Wild teammates, who admired Hughes from afar as opponents, got a whole new appreciation for what he brings to the table and see him as a big part of their future. “It’s pretty special to see the way he changes the game and the entire dynamic of your team,” captain Jared Spurgeon said. “ … There’s a reason why he’s such a special player … he just changed, I think, the dynamic of the team kind of from the back end.” Said Brodin: “Since he came, I feel like he’s dominating every shift he’s out there. It’s crazy when you don’t play with a guy, you know he’s good. But then when he gets here, you see him every day, it’s just unbelievable what he can (do). He changes everything. So, he’s awesome. I mean top D in the league.” Kirill Kaprizov was in Hughes’ position a year ago, one year away from free agency, and his contract was a dominant storyline. Kaprizov bought in to Minnesota and signed an eight-year, $17 million AAV deal in September, the richest deal in NHL history. Kaprizov said he’s formed a good friendship off the ice with Hughes, having lived in the same building. “I think Quinn wants to play here and stay here, and we want him so much,” Kaprizov said. “He’s one of the best players in this league maybe best player, how he plays.” There’s definitely raised expectations with the Wild with Kaprizov, Matt Boldy and potentially Hughes in the fold long-term. Hughes could sense that even from the beginning. “I could feel the excitement in the city or the people just that know Billy was making a big move,” Hughes said. “And that this whole organization had Cup aspirations, obviously. That’s going to go a long way to fans. I could feel that. Standing ovation when I got off of warmups the first game was pretty special for me. Yeah, I mean since the trade, it’s never really been about me … we have a great group here. We had aspirations to win a Cup. It didn’t happen. I’m not sure we’re as far as maybe we think or whatnot. I think that we played an unbelievable team in Colorado. A team that, you know, can win a Cup and we’re going to have to get through them next year and teams like that. We’ve just got to keep growing and learning. “I could definitely feel the fan support, the love and the excitement.” Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms