Extremely worrying Quinn Hughes update as huge New Jersey return is revealed

Quinn Hughes and the Minnesota Wild are running out of quiet summer days to get a contract extension finished.

Hughes is entering the final year of his deal, a 7,850,000 dollar cap hit, and he can hit unrestricted free agency on July 1, 2027.

He earned that leverage. Hughes put up 76 points on 7 goals and 69 assists in 74 games, then added 15 points in 11 playoff games for Minnesota.

Wild owner Craig Leipold said flatly in June, "We are going to re-sign him." General manager Bill Guerin has since traveled to Michigan for talks.

So this isn't a case of a player refusing to negotiate. Guerin is doing the work.

But August keeps disappearing, and no deal has been announced yet.

If training camp opens without one, that's worth watching. If opening night arrives the same way, that's a real problem for Minnesota.

What a Devils package for Hughes would actually cost New Jersey

The New Jersey Devils never stopped circling. Hughes reportedly wanted to eventually play alongside brothers Jack and Luke before Vancouver traded him to Minnesota instead.

New Jersey went 42-37-3 last season for 87 points, and general manager Sunny Mehta still holds multiple first-round picks over the next two drafts.

Any realistic Devils offer starts with forward Dawson Mercer, whose 4,000,000 dollar cap hit and 42 points in 82 games make him a real trade chip, not a throw-in.

Add prospect Anton Silayev, a towering defenseman the Devils view as a foundational piece, and the framework at least becomes conceivable on paper.

Would New Jersey actually pay two first-round picks, Mercer, and Silayev for one year of Hughes plus an extension? Doubtful, and that's exactly the point.

Minnesota gave up real bodies to get Hughes in the first place, and Guerin shouldn't discount him for anything less than a similarly loaded return.

None of this means a trade call is coming this week. It means the runway is shorter than it was in June, and every unsigned day tilts leverage toward Hughes.