Wild GM Guerin: Hughes Extension Is ‘Priority No. 1’

Bill Guerin isn’t being cute about it.

The Wild GM made it clear Monday at Minnesota’s season-ending media availability that getting Quinn Hughes signed to an extension sits at the very top of the offseason to-do list. Guerin called it “priority one” and didn’t bother sugarcoating any of it.

Let’s Play Hockey grabbed the key line:

Guerin also reminded everyone that nothing has to happen tomorrow.

“These are things that take time and I think everybody needs a little bit of time to decompress,” he said, “but that’s priority (No.) 1.”

Watch the full Guerin and Hynes press conference:

There’s exactly one year left on the six-year, $47.1 million deal Hughes signed with Vancouver back in 2021. He can become an unrestricted free agent after the 2026-27 season, which is exactly why Minnesota wants paperwork done sooner rather than later.

Minnesota paid a steep price to get him. Guerin shipped Zeev Buium, Marco Rossi, Liam Ohgren and a 2026 first-rounder to the Canucks on Dec. 12 to land the 26-year-old defenseman.

It paid off in a hurry. Hughes put up 53 points (5 goals, 48 assists) in 48 regular-season games with the Wild, then tied Kirill Kaprizov for the team postseason lead at 15 points in 11 games. He averaged 30:57 of ice time per playoff game, a workload number you almost never see in the modern game.

Brock Faber also benefited from the Hughes effect. The 22-year-old posted a career-high 51 points playing on the top pair next to him.

“I thought ‘Fabs’ immediately got better,” Guerin said. “I don’t know exactly what it was, but it was almost like Fabs saw Quinn playing and to me, it was like he said, ‘Oh wow, you can do that stuff as a defenseman.’”

Hughes already opened the door on his end Friday at break-up day. The Norris winner told reporters he’d “definitely be open to re-signing” and that going into next year with a deal done “would be better.”

Extensions can be signed starting July 1.