‘Who knows what he’s gonna want?’: Bill Guerin on Quinn Hughes’ future contract negotiations
As the NHL’s salary cap grows, and gargantuan contracts get handed out across the league, general managers sit in anxious anticipation knowing their turn will come to shell out record-setting money to a star player.
After defenseman Cale Makar was recently made the highest-paid player in NHL history by the Colorado Avalanche, the next big-name defenseman in line for an extension is the Minnesota Wild‘s Quinn Hughes, who is entering the final season of his current six-year, $47.1 million contract.
On Monday, Wild general manager Bill Guerin visited the Minnesota State Fair and gave a radio interview to the Chad Hartman Show. Guerin was asked how Makar’s new deal may or may not affect Hughes’ upcoming contract negotiations.
“There’s a bar with Cale Makar signing that contract in Colorado, but Quinn might be after different things,” said Guerin. “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.”
Hughes may be a “different guy” as Guerin says, but it’s hard to imagine he won’t be looking for a number that at least rivals Makar’s annual cap hit of $20.4 million. At 26 years old, Hughes is a year younger than Makar, and is right there with Makar and the Columbus Blue Jackets‘ Zach Werenski in the discussion for the best defenseman in the world.
Despite the eye-popping money Hughes’ camp is likely demanding, Guerin insists the communication between the two sides has been positive so far.
“The relationship is good between me and Quinn and his agent,” Guerin said. “There’s no tension. Communication has been good. I don’t have anything disheartening to say.”
Minnesota acquired Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks in a blockbuster deal made in December of last year. He had 53 points in 48 regular season games for the Wild following the trade, and then notched 15 points in Minnesota’s 11 playoff games.
