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Wild GM Bill Guerin offers Quinn Hughes update: 'We all want him back'
Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin was at the State Fair on Monday, and joined FOX 9 Sports Director Jim Rich live on FOX 9 News at 5. Guerin gave an update on star defensemen Quinn Hughes, who is in the final year of his current contract. Guerin and Hughes are in talks for a contract extension to keep him in Minnesota.
FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn. (FOX 9) - The Minnesota Wild starts preseason play in about three weeks, and General Manager Bill Guerin was at the State Fair on Monday.
Bill Guerin gives Quinn Hughes update
What they're saying:
It’s been the biggest top of the Wild offseason – where are things at with keeping Quinn Hughes? Guerin acquired Hughes in a blockbuster trade last season that helped the Wild advance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in a decade. Hughes recorded 76 regular season points, 53 of them with the Wild, including five goals.
He’s one of the best defensemen in the NHL, and he enters the final year of his current contract set to make $7.85 million. He could become an unrestricted free agent in 2027, but Guerin told FOX 9 Sports Director Jim Rich Monday he’s going to do everything in his power to make sure that doesn’t happen.
"In this job it’s what have you done for me lately? I understand that and I love it. Listen, Quinn is a massive part of our team, our fanbase is excited about him. We as hockey operations, our coaches, teammates, everybody loves Quinn. We all want him back, we’re working through it," Guerin said. "We have great lines of communication open with him, his agent. These things just take time, we’re taking all the time we have to get something done."
This time last year, he was in the same spot with Kirill Kaprizov before the star winger signed one of the biggest contracts in NHL history to stay with the Wild.
Guerin’s banner year
The backstory:
With the help of Guerin’s roster moves, the Wild won a playoff series for the first time in more than a decade. He won the NHL’s General Manager of the Year award. He also helped lead Team USA to a gold medal at the Winter Olympics.
When asked where his gold medal is, Guerin revealed that only players get medals. He said he recently went back and watched some of the games to relive the memories.
"I don’t have one. The win is enough," Guerin said.