Quinn Hughes' contract impacting Wild trade plans before deadline

There Quinn Hughes was again on Tuesday night, doing things only he can do, slicing in at full speed from the blue line, cutting to his backhand, then going back to his forehand right in front of goal to finish for the Minnesota Wild.

It's the kind of play that shows why Hughes will command a massive contract this summer when he's first eligible for an extension. That is, if he's ready to sign it.

And that's what looms large over the Wild as this Friday's NHL trade deadline approaches. They have to make sure Hughes signs that contract extension when it's put in front of him.

"GM Bill Guerin is going all-in to get his team past the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2015," ESPN's Emily Kaplan wrote in a new article Tuesday night. "Remember, he still must convince Quinn Hughes (eligible for an extension this summer) that it's worth sticking around, so Guerin isn't done yet."

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The Wild traded a huge haul to the Vancouver Canucks to get Hughes, making the move in December to get well out in front of a leaguewide pursuit at the trade deadline.

Hughes has been as advertised and then some for Minnesota, averaging more than a point per game.

And when he left for the Olympics to play for Team USA, Hughes showed just how good he is on a world stage, too.

Clearly, he's worth whatever extension the Wild can come up with. His current contract has a couple more years on it, so it's not the most urgent thing.

But to avoid future trade rumors involving Hughes as his contract winds down, the Wild would be wise to secure his long-term future as soon as possible.

Anything they can do in the next couple days to convince Hughes that he's in the right place will be quite valuable.

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