Quinn Hughes Eyes 3-Year Wild Deal as Makar's $163.2 Million Pact Resets Defense Market
Updated
Updated · Yahoo Sports · Aug 28
Quinn Hughes Eyes 3-Year Wild Deal as Makar's $163.2 Million Pact Resets Defense Market
3 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Aug 28
Summary
$163.2 million for Cale Makar has raised the price floor for elite defensemen, with analysts now expecting Quinn Hughes to sign only a short-term extension in Minnesota.
Three years is seen as the likely ceiling because Hughes is believed to want flexibility to eventually join brothers Jack and Luke, with New Jersey viewed as the most plausible destination.
Minnesota's challenge is not just annual salary but trade flexibility — limiting no-move protection and avoiding an outsized cap hit that could complicate a future exit.
The debate underscores how Makar's deal is shaping the next wave of blue-line contracts, while leaving the Wild to balance contention now against Hughes's longer-term family priorities.