The St. Louis Blues retooled their roster this offseason, with the hope that it will be more competitive. It certainly would help, considering a rough start to the season ended their chances of making the playoffs, where they finished just four points out of a Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. One way the Blues can get back into contention is if some of the top teams in the Central Division to take a step back.
The Minnesota Wild have high hopes entering this season after eliminating the Dallas Stars in the first round. Now, they are trying to retain defenseman Quinn Hughes, who they acquired from the Vancouver Canucks last December. Based on comments after their season ended, it seemed like it was inevitable that Hughes and the Wild would reach an agreement on a contract extension. It's almost mid-August, and there has been no real progress, leaving the Wild fanbase panicking. That is welcoming news for the Blues fanbase.
The latest update on the Hughes contract saga isn't going to calm down Wild fans, and that is going to be music to the ears of Blues fans.
Elliotte Friedman reveals when Wild fans should be worried about lack of a Quinn Hughes contract progress
During a recent appearance on NHL Network, Sportsnet NHL insider Elliotte Friedman said he would only be worried about the Wild's chances of retaining Hughes if the two sides don't reach an agreement by the start of the season.
“I will worry about this if it’s not done by the start of the season,” Friedman said, h/t Gone Puck Wild. “...That’s just my personal feeling. If it’s not done by the start of the season, I’ll start to say “Hey, what’s going on here?’
“…I really think in a lot of cases, these things get done when there’s a sense of urgency. I’m surprised, but I’ve been around long enough to know. …I just think that if we go into the season and it’s not done, that’s when I’m really going to start to say, ‘OK, like, what’s happening?’”
Blue fans may very well be rooting for this scenario. Let's not forget that Hughes is set to hit free agency after this upcoming season. So if he doesn't sign a contract extension with the Wild bey the start of the regular season, there is serious reason to panic for Minnesota fans.
But one thing the Wild fanbase will point to was the contract saga with Kirill Kaprizov. Talks with the star forward went nowhere with the 2025-26 season fast approaching, which would have set him up to hit free agency this summer. But the two sides reached an agreement by the deadline on an eight-year, $136 million contract, making it the richest deal in NHL history. So, there was panic for the Wild fanbase, but they ultimately reached an agreement.
Now, they may have to do the same with Hughes,
Blues fans will be hoping for Quinn Hughes to leave Minnesota
Look, there is plenty for Blues fans to be invested in during this saga. If Hughes doesn't want to re-sign with the Wild, it will make them a worse team when he does leave. So, the Blues will be rooting for that scenario.
Even if Hughes does re-sign, it appears it will only be a three-year extension. It's the worst kept secret in hockey that we won't hear the end of for quite some time. Of course, that is Quinn is looking to team up with his younger brother Jack at some point during their NHL careers. By signing a three-year extension, he would hit free agency in 2030, which is the same year Jack hits free agency. It will then be up to whichever team has the best chance to win and has the most cap space to fit both of their contracts.
Maybe that's the Blues? That would certainly be the dream scenario. But this is a Blues team that is being molded in Alex Steen's image, and it will be interesting to see if they can get back to contention in the near future.
But for now, the Blues fanbase will be rooting for Hughes to leave the Wild sooner rather than later.
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