The Minnesota Wild are racing against time to lock down star defenseman Quinn Hughes, who’s entering his final year on a $7.85M deal and could become a UFA next summer. After a Norris-winning season and a playoff push since his December trade, Hughes reportedly wants to stay — but may demand a shorter, high-paying contract (possibly 5 years at $19M/year), waiting to see what rival Cale Makar gets. GM Bill Guerin is negotiating, echoing last year’s Kaprizov deal, but the inflation-hit market makes talks tougher. Meanwhile, Ottawa’s Drake Batherson, also in his final year, wants an eight-year max extension — similar to Kempe and Tuch — while Hughes leans toward a shorter term. Both players’ deals must be done before the season starts — with Hughes’ clock ticking faster as the 8-year extension window closes Sept. 15.

Listen in comfort:
Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn.

Advertise on DNN:
advertise@thednn.ai

This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.
Report issues to feedback@thednn.ai.

View sources & latest updates:
https://sources.thednn.ai/20967be9063443f2

Podden och tillhörande omslagsbild på den här sidan tillhör The Daily News Now!. Innehållet i podden är skapat av The Daily News Now! och inte av, eller tillsammans med, Poddtoppen.