Quinn Hughes, Minnesota Wild Have Bright NHL Future Despite Second Round Exit
Minnesota Wild fans may not want to hear it right now, as the sting of being eliminated by the Colorado Avalanche in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs is still fresh and painful, but when one of their best players is talking like they want to stay in Minnesota when their current contract expires, Wild fans should be overjoyed.
We're talking about Minnesota superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes, who was everything the Wild hoped he'd be when they acquired him from the Vancouver Canucks in December. Hughes, who'll be a UFA in the summer of 2027, spoke glowingly about his time with the Wild.
"I really like it here," Hughes told The Athletic this week. "I love the team. I love the city and the fans. Being in that locker room, it's a special group. I would definitely be open to re-signing here with the guys that we have. There's a lot of trust with (Guerin) as well…I think it's a great spot, great situation for me."
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The Wild team Guerin has assembled has a slew of youngsters, either in or approaching their primes, including Hughes, star left wingers Matt Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov, star blueliner Brock Faber, and goaltenders Filip Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt. The majority of those players are really still only scratching the surface of what they're capable of.
In net, Wallstedt had a mostly terrific post-season, posting a .909 save percentage and 2.77 GAA in 10 playoff appearances. Wallstedt was challenged greatly by the Avalanche in the second round, but at 23 years old, the best is yet to come for him.
With or without Hughes, the Wild will be a team to reckon with for the foreseeable future, but if Hughes does re-sign, Guerin's trade for him could stand out as one of the biggest and best blockbuster trades in NHL history.
The Wild gave Vancouver an excellent trade package – young defenseman Zeev Buium, a first-round draft pick, and young forwards Liam Ohgren and Marco Rossi – but Minnesota received a cornerstone piece and the kind of elite D-man that rarely, if ever, gets traded.
So, full marks to Guerin for having the guts to go through with the Hughes deal with no guarantee Hughes would consider signing a contract extension. By having a strong regular season and a solid post-season, the Wild have done everything in their power to convince Hughes to stay for the long term.
Post-Mortem: Minnesota Wild Reminded They Aren't Cup Front-Runners Yet
Despite a blockbuster trade for Quinn Hughes and a dominant opening round against the Dallas Stars, the Minnesota Wild's Stanley Cup dreams vanished. What comes next?
Nobody loves hockey more than Minnesotans, but they've never had big-time winning Wild teams in Minnesota for most of the Wild's existence. However, the fans' and management's patience is now paying off, as Minnesota is set to be a top-five team in the league, year in and year out, for a long time.
Guerin has built a legitimate Cup threat, and the competitive bar for the Wild has been raised. Minnesota can't afford to take a backward step, but the good news is that all signs are pointing to serious steps forward.
And before too long, we could be looking at a Wild team that finally, at long last, is a champion.
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This story was originally published May 16, 2026 at 10:59 AM.