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.