NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 29, 2026
Check out the latest on Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes, Blues center Robert Thomas, Avalanche winger Jaden Schwartz, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
THE ATHLETIC’s Michael Russo believes Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin will meet with defenseman Quinn Hughes and his representatives this week in Michigan to discuss a contract extension.
Hughes, 26, is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next July. He’s in the final season of a six-year contract with an average annual value of $7.85 million.
Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes (NHL Images).
Russo reports the Wild want to sign him to a new deal between five and eight years, pointing out that the maximum term for re-signing players drops to seven years as of Sept. 16. However, a three-year deal makes the most sense for Hughes, aligning with the remaining term on brother Jack Hughes’ contract with the New Jersey Devils.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wild owner Craig Leipold last month claimed his club would re-sign Hughes, but that was before Leo Carlsson’s new contract (with its record $18 million average annual value) set a more expensive bar for retaining talent.
The Wild have already invested $17 million annually in superstar winger Kirill Kaprizov. If Hughes seeks more than that, regardless of term, they will have a significant chunk of their salary cap payroll tied up in two players.
Hughes is among the NHL’s elite players, winning the Norris Trophy as top defenseman in 2023-24. He would be justified in seeking a significant raise that puts him among the league’s highest-paid players.
Before the Carlsson signing, it was expected that Hughes would at least double his salary. Now, he could seek between $18 million and $20.8 million, which is the current maximum cap hit allowed under the CBA.
With a projected $45.9 million in cap space for 2027-28, the Wild have room to accommodate a new contract for Hughes. However, it could complicate efforts to maintain a Stanley Cup-contending roster.
The Wild currently have only 11 active roster players under contract for that season, with forwards Blake Coleman and Ryan Hartman, defenseman Jared Spurgeon, and goaltender Jesper Wallstedt among the notables to be re-signed or replaced.
THE ATHLETIC: Jeremy Rutherford reports Robert Thomas has put last season’s trade speculation behind him as he and the Blues focus on building something special in St. Louis.
Despite the rumors, Thomas indicated that he was never asked by Blues management to waive his no-trade clause. After meetings with new general manager Alex Steen, the two sides are now aligned on the club’s goal of building a Stanley Cup contender.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blues shook things up in recent months, trading away veterans Brayden Schenn, Justin Faulk, and Jordan Kyrou. Goaltender Jordan Binnington will likely remain a trade candidate, and rumors continued to dog blueliner Colton Parayko. However, whatever changes come next to their roster, they won’t involve Thomas, who could take on a larger leadership role with the Blues.
COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Aarif Deen considers winger Jaden Schwartz as the Avalanche player with the most to prove in 2026-27.
Schwartz, 34, signed a three-year contract with the Avalanche. He could fill a top-six role, which means they’ll need the 2024-25 version who scored 26 goals and 49 points in 2024-25, not the one who managed only 26 points in 50 games last season.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Deen noted that the Avalanche brought in Schwartz after moving out forwards Valeri Nichushkin and Ross Colton in cost-cutting deals. He inked an affordable AAV of $3.25 million, down from his previous annual salary of $5.5 million.
Schwartz’s production declined last season because he missed 32 games with various injuries. When healthy, he’s a productive second-line winger. The problem is he’s been dogged by injuries for most of his career.
THE ATHLETIC: Dom Luszczyszyn recently published his annual ranking of the NHL’s 10 worst contracts. For the third straight year, Jonathan Huberdeau of the Calgary Flames tops the list.
He also considers Leo Carlsson’s new contract with the Anaheim Ducks among the worst. He acknowledged the 21-year-old center has plenty of potential and could be worth his $18 million AAV by the fourth or fifth year of the deal, but he’s not worth that amount of coin at this stage of his career.
Luszczyszyn also agreed that matching the offer to retain Carlsson was a win. However, he felt the contract efficiency aspect is a big loss that will limit the Ducks’ ceiling over the course of the center’s contract.
THE SEATTLE TIMES: Kraken Hockey Network’s color analyst Eddie Olczyk is stepping away from his duties for personal and family reasons. He joined KHN in 2022 after spending 15 seasons as an analyst for the Chicago Blackhawks.
THE SCORE: Prime Video will broadcast three Stanley Cup playoff series in Canada (two in the first round, one in the second) as part of a 12-year sublicensing agreement with Rogers. It will also get Wednesday night regular-season national games in Canada in English and French.
I think Q Hughes comes in at least 15 per season if he keeps it “team friendly”. It doesnt help that Byram got the jump to 12.5 on his extension.
I’d be quite agitated negotiating with Q Hughes if the brother thing is a point of contention. But that is my personal perspective only obviously.
Schwartz is a good player but never stays in the lineup long enough . A quick average of 61 GP per season over 14 seasons.
Lawrence Carbonneau Jirecek have the Blues with a lot of very good young talent on the way . Players like Holloway and
Snugggerud set to play top line minutes this coming season. Didn’t look but must have a top ranked team for prospect depth.
What are the worst 10 contracts. You identified Huberdeau’s as the worst and That Carlson’s is on the list but what are the other 8?
Gored1970: The article is behind a paywall. The last time I posted the entirety of one of The Athletic’s lists, one of their (now former) writers was rather upset, accusing me of “stealing” and plagiarism even though it wasn’t my intent. Apparently, citing only one or two names on such lists are fine, but not the entirety.
Everybody checks out Spector’s Hockey. Stick tap Lyle.
New highest paid player . Macklin Celebrini 18.8 mill. This should also push up cap hits . Not saying he is not worth it.
Talent wise, Swany, he by far the best young player in the league and may soon be the best period.
But IMO his need to be paid higher than Carlsson also means that he is more focused on ego than helping build an enduring contender. The young promising teammates he has will be calibrating their salary demands off of Celebrini, with attendant effects on the team cap.
The under the radar winners of this new salary cap arms race is Montreal. Thanks, Briere.
And … for those who point to a continually rising cap, think back just a few years ago and contemplate promises of the future. Will this all come out in the wash? Will we see teams hobbling themselves like the Leafs of just a few years ago, a few core stars eating a disproportionate amount of cap space?
LJ I am a Habs fan as well. Could not agree more Montreal has some great contracts . Glad they got Demidov signed a few days earlier then the Carlson offer sheet. I don’t think we would have got him 9.15.
As for Celebrini you can thank Breire for that. The players would be really pushing Mac to go at least a little higher then 18 mil but could be wrong. GM’s will be redoing there cap projections all through the league now .
I thank Briere for creating a temporary cap advantage for the Habs, Swany.
But my point about Celebrini is that he had a choice to make: the ephemeral pleasure of being the league’s highest paid player, or leave some cap room to facilitate a strong team.
I have previously pointed to the gesture McDavid made, and you being a Habs fan will be aware of Demidov’s comment when he signed his extension: “money never going to be over hockey in my life.”
I grant that is an unusual perspective for pro athletes, who will understandably get it while they can still play. But again: the elite do affect their teams chances of winning with the choices they make.
Wonder what effect this will have long term on the Montreal players that got what is now much lower wages than players of equal ability and age.
It isn’t as if Molson isn’t spending to the cap, just means that the core will be surrounded by good players earning decent money instead of fillers.
The players said they were signing affordable deals to win. If they do routinely compete in the playoffs I doubt there will be an issue with Montreal players. But if they don’t in the next 2-4’3 years I could see it becoming problematic as they arnt winning and are severely underpaid compared to their peers.
With the 10 million they have in cap space Don t you think Suzuki,Caulfield,Demidov and Slavosky wish they had a couple of Million to add to their contract?
Sr, ok, your style is to try and provoke discussion, but that’s a silly question.
Habs still need to sign Bolduc and xhekaj plus a second line player.
How far will that $10M go?
Just philosophizing on today’s pro athletes. Your management team in Montreal has done a fantastic job building your team with talent and youth. Your young guys are solid pros with great attitudes supported by their talent. You have built your team the right way. Let s hope the Brieres of the world Don t spoil what is I believe the ultimate team sport with the worlds most grounded professionals.
Ok, fair response, and I will try and give it an equally fair answer to your question about Suzuki et al, Sr.
While the cap will not continue to climb in an unaltered upward arc, every contract and every tier of contracts are inevitably left behind. When Pasta signed his 11.25 million per contract that was in the upper tier of superstar salary. Not so much now.
Players could try for short term contracts so as to continually ride the escalator up. The risk is a career affecting injury, or no $ during labour disruption.
Hence the move to have millions paid up front each year, both protecting themselves from labour disruption and giving them big bucks to invest and increase their wealth. So no, I don’t think Suzuki, Pasta or any other quality player resents seeing the contract they signed yesterday being surpassed today.
Fair answer?
Yep