NHL Rumor Mill – September 9, 2026
Is Quinn Hughes reluctant to commit to the Wild? What’s the latest on Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
THE ATHLETIC: Michael Russo and Joe Smith report Quinn Hughes will join Minnesota Wild teammate Matt Boldy on the NHL/NHLPA player media tour in Las Vegas on Wednesday. He will likely be questioned about where things stand with his contract extension talks.
Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes (NHL Images).
Russo and Smith wonder if Hughes tells reporters he intends to sign with the Wild. If he ducks the question, it will put pressure on the Wild to trade him if they can’t reach an extension.
Hughes returns to Minnesota on Thursday. Wild general manager Bill Guerin hopes to sit down with the 26-year-old superstar defenseman and hammer out a deal in the coming days.
If the Wild hope to sign Hughes to an eight-year extension, they’ll have to do it by Sept. 15. After that, the maximum term for re-signing players drops to seven years. It’s rumored that the blueliner prefers a short-term deal of three years. If he wants three years at $20 million annually, Russo and Smith believe the Wild would do that.
RDS.CA: TSN insider Chris Johnston reports Hughes was having difficulty figuring out what he really wants for his future. He doesn’t believe the Wild have any restrictions on offering Hughes a big contract, but he has to be willing to sign it. “So far, I don’t believe he has committed to doing so or is even willing to do so,” Johnston said.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Everyone knows that Quinn Hughes wants to play with his brothers Jack and Luke, who play for the New Jersey Devils. Guerin has preached patience, but Wild fans are growing concerned that Hughes could reject an extension, forcing Guerin to trade him before the March deadline, if not sooner.
If that happens, it will be a disaster for Guerin.
He gave up three promising young players to acquire Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks last December, betting that he could convince the puck-moving defenseman to sign an extension. However, if Hughes refuses to sign, he’ll be in a difficult situation.
The Wild GM could try to restock his prospect pipeline by trading Hughes, but if the blueliner intends to become an unrestricted free agent next July, few teams will want to part with a big return for a superstar who will walk on July 1. The Devils will be interested, but they won’t offer up much to get him, secure in the knowledge they can sign him next summer.
THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun reports the Carolina Hurricanes, Buffalo Sabres, and Utah Mammoth are among the possibilities on the Connor Hellebucyk trade front.
LeBrun indicated the Hurricanes remain interested. He believes any potential deal might involve defenseman Alexander Nikishin, who remains an unsigned restricted free agent. He also noted that the Sabres and Jets had trade conversations in June, but nothing materialized.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: There’s been no indication the Jets are close to moving Hellebuyck. That would explain why he recently made his trade request public, hoping to speed things up.
Just because it’s been quiet doesn’t mean Cheveldayoff hasn’t been talking quietly with other clubs. He prefers to take his time to find the best deal possible. Unless Hellebuyck ups the ante by refusing to report to training camp, he will remain patient in his search for a suitable trade partner.
It’s past time for Hughes to make up his mind and if he doesn’t sign a contract before training camp opens, it’s a giant distraction for the entire team.
It’s not his fault if it’s a distraction. For all we know he’s already told Guerin that he isn’t interested in signing an extension right now and they keep pushing for it.
We on the outside have no idea what’s actually going on.
I think you have the correct read PaJaDa. But I am sure like everyone else, please let this drama end one way or another. I feel that Sunny has inside knowledge of what Quinn is going to do, so he may not be willing to throw a life line to Guerin. If this ends badly for Guerin, he has no one to blame but himself. Jim Rutherford basically told the league what Quinn’s desire was. Guerin just chose not to listen to it. And if Quinn does sign with the Wild, he looks like a genius. Guerin took his swing and now we all await the outcome.
To be honest my suspension is that he’s already made up his mind to at least not sign in the off-season and watch how the season plays out for both the Wild and the Devils.
If this is the case, I think the best play for Guerin is to hang on to him until the trade deadline, where he’d be able to trade him for a haul if he retains half his salary. I’m sure plenty of contenders will give up a player, prospect and pick for a playoff run with him.
The danger is if the Wild look like they have a legitimate shot at the cup and are forced to hang on to him.