Quinn Hughes Stuck In Limbo with the Wild, Not Ready to Make Big Decision

It's believed that Quinn Hughes is not ready to sign an extension with the Wild, per TSN's Chris Johnston . The NHL insider spoke at great length about where things are at with the superstar defenseman and how ready he is to commit to the Minnesota Wild, not just a long-term extension, but any extension at all. When asked how the Hughes situation might play out, Johnston explained: 'My understanding of this situation through the summer is I think he was having trouble basically making up his mind about what he wants to do for his future. There's a desire that we've known for years to one day play with his brothers. I think he did enjoy his Minnesota experience after the trade was made part way through last year with Vancouver. And so, I think at some point he's going to have to — I'm sure he's been doing some degree of soul-searching and leaning on conversations with the people he trusts around him, but he's going to have to make a call on what's best.' Johnston added, 'I think the posture of Minnesota is that they're here. I don't think there are any restrictions on their end in terms of making him a very wealthy man. But he has to be willing to sign it. And at least to this point, I don't think that has been committed to or something he's ready to do.' In other words, the Wild are ready and waiting. Meanwhile, Hughes is dragging his feet. The talk earlier was that Hughes was open to signing, but the term was the question mark. Many believed a short-term deal was the only real option — so he could align his contract with his brother Jack — but now it sounds like Hughes might not be ready to sign an extension of any kind. At the very least, he might be contemplating going to free agency. It increasingly feels like Hughes is going to wait this one out. For a star player in his situation and with what appears to be the priority of getting with his brothers, the only real incentive to sign before September 15 would be avoiding the signing-bonus restriction that comes once that date passes. It shouldn't come as a surprise if he does sign, but there seems to be a growing sentiment that he might just wait and give himself the most flexibility possible. He's going to be wealthy regardless. It's simply a matter of how much he wants as a signing bonus. This article first appeared on NHL Trade Talk and was syndicated with permission.