The longer Quinn Hughes goes without an extension with the Minnesota Wild, the more it benefits the New Jersey Devils.
As one source told New Jersey Hockey Now, “It’s not over.”
Obvious? Yes. Significant? Also, yes.
Most people around the league expected something to get done in July. Extension eligibility opened on July 1st. Hughes said after the season that he was “definitely open” to staying. Reports in early July floated numbers in the $16–18 million range and suggested the two sides were moving toward a deal.
Wild GM Bill Guerin was scheduled to meet with Hughes and his representative—Pat Brisson, reportedly too busy to get this done sooner—in Michigan during the final week of July. That meeting allegedly happened already and as of early August, nothing has been announced.
The radio silence matters. When a player of Hughes’ caliber hits the one-year window and the expected summer resolution does not arrive, the dynamic changes. Every additional week without a signature raises the possibility that term or dollars are the sticking point. Some reports have indicated Hughes prefers a shorter deal—something closer to three years—rather than the longer commitment Minnesota would prefer to lock in a franchise cornerstone. A shorter term would align his next free agency with brother Jack Hughes‘ current contract window and keep the family reunion conversation alive in a more concrete way.
Look, this isn’t an attack on the Wild and their organization. Minnesota fans, put the pitchforks down. Simply put, we have seen a version of Quinn’s situation play out recently.
Mikko Rantanen was a cornerstone for the Colorado Avalanche until extension talks stalled. The Avalanche could not get a deal done, traded him to the Carolina Hurricanes in January 2025, and Carolina struggled to lock him up long-term right away.
Thus, he was moved again, this time to the Dallas Stars, where he finally signed an eight-year extension. Once the original expectation of a long-term commitment collapsed, the player kept moving until a team was willing to meet his terms.
Now, perhaps that’s been Guerin’s fail-safe all along. He gave up a lot to acquire Quinn. However, Guerin could also get a lot in return for Quinn if he can’t quite lock up the defenseman despite saving face on his beleif he can extend the former Norris Trophy winner.
Alex Pietrangelo is a somewhat similar example from a few years back. He was widely expected to be a lifelong Blue—longtime captain, franchise face, the player St. Louis was built around. Extension talks still turned difficult in the summer of 2020. The sides could not close the gap on money and term. Talks eventually broke off, and Pietrangelo signed a seven-year deal with Vegas as an unrestricted free agent, the very thing Guerin will certainly want to prevent.
But hey, even players who seem locked in for life can walk when negotiations get tough.
From the Devils’ side, the structure Sunny Mehta has built makes that conversation less theoretical than it was a year ago. The new general manager has mostly avoided long-term commitments on secondary pieces. Anthony Mantha signed for two years. Several depth forwards and defensemen came in on one-year deals. There is almost no trade protection on those contracts. The approach keeps the roster flexible instead of boxing the team into expensive veterans who become difficult to move.
That flexibility shows up in the numbers. After the 2026-27 season the Devils have a cluster of contracts coming off the books. Seven are set to expire as unrestricted free agents and one as a restricted free agent. The list includes Evan Rodrigues, Stefan Noesen, Cody Glass, Nick Bjugstad, Jesper Boqvist, Brenden Dillon, Declan Chisholm and David Rittich among the UFAs, with Dawson Mercer the notable RFA.
It’s almost like the Devils GM is keeping money available up for something… big.
According to the current projections on Puckpedia, New Jersey’s cap hit for 2027-28 sits around $81.2 million against a rising ceiling projected at $113.5 million. That leaves more than $32 million in room before any other transactions. Even after the team re-signs Mercer, fills out the roster, and accounts for the jump in Nico Hischier’s extension (which rises to $11.7 million that year), there is still enough leftover capacity to absorb a contract in the range Quinn is expected to command. The core pieces that matter most—Jack through 2029-30, Luke Hughes on his long-term deal, Jesper Bratt and Timo Meier through 2031—remain in place.
None of this guarantees anything. Minnesota still controls the rights for one more year and can simply play out the season. Heck, Quinn could extend tomorrow and this could all be moot.
Guerin has been clear that re-signing Hughes is a top priority. But the math is straightforward and the calendar is moving. The longer the extension talks remain unresolved, the closer Hughes gets to the open market and the more the Devils’ short-term contract philosophy and 2027-28 cap picture start to look like a genuine opportunity rather than pure speculation.
And let’s not forget, Jim Rutherford let the cat out of the bag last winter. Quinn wants to play with his brothers. Tom Fitzgerald fumbled in the red zone. Mehta, however, is seemingly keeping his options open.
The window is not open yet. However, it’s not necessarily closed, either.
James is a fully credentialed New Jersey Devils beat reporter for New Jersey Hockey Now on Sportsnaut and the … More about James Nichols