Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin is trying to let star defenseman Quinn Hughes take time deciding his future.
"Like I've said before, like with Kirill (Kaprizov) last year, Quinn this year, these are big decisions for players," Guerin said on TNT during the Wild's preseason game Friday. "They've put a lot of thought into it. Quinn's a very thoughtful guy. He's going through the process in his mind. What's gonna be best for him and his life? Where does he wanna be? All those things go into it. It's no different than Kirill, no different than any other player.
"We're trying to allow him the time, not put too much pressure on him. He knows where we stand. We want him here for a long, long time. He's a big part of our team, a big part of our core. But again, these things take time."
Hughes is set to become an unrestricted free agent after the season. The 26-year-old had 53 points in 48 games after being acquired by the Wild in December.
Minnesota traded defenseman Zeev Buium, forwards Marco Rossi and Liam Ohgren, and a first-round pick that became Adam Novotny to the Vancouver Canucks to land the 2024 Norris Trophy winner.
Hughes said earlier in September that a contract "is going to be done whenever I feel like it needs to be done."
Hughes won Olympic gold with the United States in February alongside his brother Jack. Both of his younger brothers, Jack and Luke, play for the New Jersey Devils.
The Wild signed Kaprizov to an eight-year, $136-million extension on Sept. 30 last year. The $17-million average annual value made it the highest cap hit in NHL history at the time, which has since been usurped by three players.
