- Nick Foligno says walking away from Minnesota should be a non-starter for Quinn Hughes
- Foligno used his own reunion with brother Marcus as the cautionary tale
- Read below for what Foligno told The Athletic about the Hughes brothers plan
Nick Foligno cannot picture Quinn Hughes leaving Minnesota.
The 38-year-old winger talked with Joe Smith of The Athletic about the extension hanging over the Wild’s summer, and he sounded like a guy who already knows how this one ends.
“Maybe it’s stupid to say, but on a team like this, we’re just super confident in who we are. It seems like a no-brainer to join. It’s like, ‘Man, why would you leave here? We’re a great team.’ It’s a big reason why I stayed.”
He re-upped on July 2, a one-year deal worth $900,000 that brings him back for a 20th NHL season, so he is hardly a neutral party in that room.
His pitch carries some weight because he has lived the version Hughes is chasing. Chicago sent him to Minnesota on March 6 for future considerations, which finally put him on a roster with brother Marcus after 19 seasons of near misses.
Take a look at the day the Folignos finally shared a home rink:
Hughes has the same thing waiting for him in New Jersey, where Jack and Luke play. A three-year extension would put him on the open market the same summer Jack gets there.
Smith asked Foligno about that possibility, and the answer was to stop forcing it.
“That part always takes care of itself. I’ve seen a lot of brothers play together, and the teams are not very good and it turns into a little bit of a bad situation. You want to team up when it’s a good situation and it matters. Hopefully he understands that and realizes this is a great team right now and has a window to win.”
“You’re still so young. They can decide to play (together) at any moment. Why not see it through with what you have right now?”
Bill Guerin is expected to meet with Hughes and his camp in Michigan this week, and term is still the sticking point. Minnesota wants five to eight years. Three years is the number that lines Hughes up with his brother:
Since the December trade out of Vancouver, the 26-year-old has 53 points in 48 regular-season games in Minnesota and tied Kirill Kaprizov for the team playoff lead with 15 points in 11 games.
One season remains on his six-year, $47.1 million contract, and unrestricted free agency opens for him on July 1, 2027.
Foligno gets to make his case in the dressing room all year. Guerin has to make his in Michigan this week.
