Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin says he is open to keeping Quinn Hughes beyond the trade deadline even without a commitment to a new contract, leaving a playoff run on the table despite the risk of losing the defenceman to free agency.

Speaking Tuesday at the NHL general managers’ meetings in Toronto, Guerin told Sportsnet’s Frank Seravalli that his position could change as the season develops.

“As of today, yeah,” Guerin said when asked whether he would keep Hughes without a longer-term commitment. “But if you ask me in two or three months, it might be a different answer. We’ll have to see.”

The decision comes with Minnesota on a 126-point pace through the first quarter of the season and tied for the Western Conference’s best record, according to Sportsnet. The Wild have achieved that start without Brock Faber, who is expected to make his season debut Saturday after suffering a fractured skull in September.

Hughes, meanwhile, has continued producing since joining Minnesota in a trade last December. He reached 80 points with the Wild on Tuesday in his 68th game for the franchise. Sportsnet reported that only Paul Coffey reached that mark faster among defencemen joining a franchise, needing 53 games with Pittsburgh.

Guerin said he has not imposed a deadline for Hughes to decide whether he wants to stay.

“At some point, we’re going to need to have some kind of discussion,” he said. “But everyone knows where everyone stands.”

Sportsnet’s analysis noted that a trade would present its own complications. Although Hughes does not have formal no-trade protection, his willingness to sign an extension could influence what another team would offer for a potentially short stay.

For now, Guerin said the contract question has not become a daily negotiation or a disruption within the team. He credited both Hughes and the rest of the roster for handling the uncertainty.

“It’s not personal,” Guerin said. “It’s a life decision that he has to make and it’s his decision. I get it.”

Sources