NHL Rumor Mill – September 5, 2026
Check out the latest on the Wild’s Quinn Hughes, the Jets’ Connor Hellebuyck, the Ducks’ Cutter Gauthier, and the Blue Jackets’ Adam Fantilli in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
NHL NETWORK: Elliotte Friedman joined the NHL Tonight show to discuss the rumors and notable storylines currently making the rounds.
Asking about Quinn Hughes’ contract talks with the Minnesota Wild, Friedman wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up with an average annual value of $20 million. He also thinks that the 26-year-old superstar defenseman isn’t seeking a long-term deal, which helps the Wild as it wouldn’t tie up too much money for too long.
Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes (NHL Images).
Friedman noted the Hughes family connection, with brother Jack’s contract with the New Jersey Devils expiring in four years. Quinn is in the final season of his current deal and could seek a three-year extension.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The ongoing uncertainty over whether Hughes will re-sign and what type of contract he wants if he does stay in Minnesota continues to dominate the rumor mill. It’s also generated speculation that the Wild could trade him if he decides he’ll test the market next summer.
So far, there’s no indication that Hughes and the Wild are close to an agreement. General manager Bill Guerin has reminded anxious Wild fans that Kirill Kaprizov didn’t sign his extension until late September last year.
Nevertheless, the trade rumors could grow if Hughes isn’t signed when the puck drops on the Wild’s regular season schedule on Oct. 1.
Turning to Connor Hellebuyck’s trade request, Friedman believes the 33-year-old Winnipeg Jets goaltender made it public to get his situation resolved before training camp or the regular season begins.
Friedman said the big challenge facing the Jets is that some of the trade options they had before the draft or earlier in the summer are no longer available.
He believes the Florida Panthers were among the teams interested in Hellebuyck, but part of the package they would’ve offered was instead sent to the Ottawa Senators for Brady Tkachuk. The Jets and the Buffalo Sabres were believed to have discussed the fourth-overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, with the Jets wanting that pick and keeping the eighth overall, but the Sabres didn’t want to do that.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s also rumored that the Sabres wanted to keep the fourth-overall pick and asked the Jets to include the eighth-overall pick in the deal with Hellebuyck. Regardless, swapping those picks is no longer an option, meaning the two clubs would have to discuss other possibilities if they revisit these discussions.
Friedman also noted that no-trade lists can change on July 1. He wondered if some players that might’ve been obtainable to the Jets before July 1 are no longer available.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is often mentioned as someone the Jets would want as part of the return from the Sabres for Hellebuyck. However, his five-team no-trade list kicked in on July 1, and if the Jets are on that list, he won’t go to Winnipeg.
Friedman was asked whether there has been any progress in Cutter Gauthier’s contract talks with the Anaheim Ducks and Adam Fantilli’s negotiations with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Both forwards are restricted free agents who completed their entry-level contracts. Fantilli is eligible to sign an offer sheet from a rival club, but no indication that will happen. Gauthier lacks the required number of NHL games played to be eligible to sign an offer sheet.
Friedman said he’s heard rumors of some progress in the Gauthier’s talks, but it’s going to be “a really, really big number”. He wondered what the Ducks will do over the next couple of weeks to free up the salary cap space to re-sign the 21-year-old winger.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gauthier reportedly rejected a four-year offer with $13 million annually.
Depending on how much Gauthier’s next contract is worth, the Ducks could place sidelined winger Troy Terry and his $7 million AAV on long-term injury reserve to start the season. However, they must be cap-compliant when Terry returns to the lineup later in the season. Cost-cutting candidates could include forwards Alex Killorn, Chris Kreider, and Frank Vatrano.
As for Fantilli, Friedman believes a gap remains with the Blue Jackets regarding the AAV. He hasn’t heard that the talks are on the road to any serious trouble, but the Blue Jackets haven’t reached a number they’re comfortable with yet.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell recently expressed confidence that Fantilli will be signed before training camp opens. It’s rumored the club is willing to offer around $12.5 million annually, while the Fantilli camp could seek $15 million.
Does nj try to acquire Hughes from Minny now?
Mercer, Hamilton with %retained and top prospect or 1st?
Issue is Minny is loaded in RD
Would Minny want kovacevic instead? But. Then would Mercer Kovacevic a top perspective AND unprotected 1st be enough?
Dollars work better with Mercer and Kovacevic for Minny but feel’s underwhelming
Mercer, Evangelista, Siegenthal, Kovasevic. is what I would ask NJD for Hughes.
They gave up 3 former first round picks and a 1st to get Hughes so I would think they’d seek a similar return.
They also used up half a season and one playoff run of his contract, so an equivalent of 2, maybe 3 firsts seems more reasonable, especially since the 4 firsts was reportedly much more than anyone else was offering.
Admittedly, I’m a Devils fan, so I may be biased, but if Quinn really wants to play with both of his brothers, his only chance may be to join them this season or next. People seem to forget that there’s THREE brothers, not two. In 4 years, I would think it would be difficult to find a team what has the cap space (probably 40M+) to sign Quinn and Luke, much less have the assets and additional 9M cap space to get Luke if he forces a trade.
When’s the last time a team signed the two top UFAs in an off-season? Parise and Suter? How’d that work out for them?
Its 10 months later and if he isnt resigning in Minnesota there will be few suitors to deal with, like one. So it wont be the same value coming back.
If I were jersey, giving up those players makes sense
Hamilton is up the following year and can always sign a LD depth and still have Dillon as the Defensive defenseman on the left side bottom pairing and PK
Crazy how high salaries are going. Gauthier was 5th overall pick in 2022. Slafkovsky was pick 1 and signed an 8 year deal last year. Gauthier looking to almost double his AAV of 7.6m??? Nuts. Nemec 2OA got 7.25 and 3rd pick Cooley at 10m. Ducks can sign him with Terry going on ltir. Maybe someone else gets hurt before he comes back. Maybe he gets traded.
So, if you had to bet as to which of the top 5 RFAs still to be re-upped could still be without a contract by opening day, which would it be?
Gauthier in Anaheim (my bet); Fantilli in Columbus, Edvinson in Detroit, Nikishin in Carolina, Wright in Seattle, or Bolduc and Xhekaj in Montreal?
George 0. Edvinsson is the likely answer, since we’re almost 2 months since Yzerman was “promoted” and Detroit still hasn’t hired a GM. The ownership isn’t exactly instilling confidence in Wings’ fans.
agree