David Pagnotta isn't ready to say Quinn Hughes is done with the Wild, even if a Dylan Larkin move never happens.
That matters because the Wild are rolling. They beat Montreal 2-1 in overtime on Tuesday and sit at 13-3-4, so the idea of the club losing its top defenseman looks odd on the surface.
Pagnotta, who works as an insider for DFO, added that this doesn't necessarily mean he believes Hughes stays in Minnesota long term.
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The post cuts off mid-sentence, so the full thought isn't known. What it does show is an insider refusing to close the door in either direction.
Hughes is in the final season of his contract and hasn't signed an extension, according to the latest data. That alone keeps the question alive for the rest of the year.
On the ice, he's giving the Wild everything they could ask for. He has 27 points in 20 games, and 21 of them are assists, which says plenty about how much of the offense runs through him from the blue line.
Does the Larkin chatter change anything for Hughes?
It might, but the connection is murky. We've followed the Larkin situation closely, and Pagnotta's earlier Dylan Larkin trade report framed it as a standoff over who blinks first.
Pagnotta's wording about "a Larkin thing" suggests the two storylines are linked in his mind. Exactly how isn't spelled out, and nothing here says Detroit and Minnesota have talked about Hughes.
Larkin has 6 points in 10 games for the Red Wings. The draft-pick angle is another thread, and the Bruins shopping Toronto's first-round pick shows how many teams are circling that market.
Here's the opinion: moving a defenseman producing like this while the Wild sit this high in the standings would be a mistake. If Minnesota is going to lose him, it should come at the end of a deep run, not in the middle of one.
The Wild visit the Maple Leafs tonight, with Hughes expected to be part of every conversation around the building. Pagnotta's next update is the one to watch.
This article was written with the help of artificial intelligence, based on public reports and official sources.
Should the Wild keep Quinn Hughes even if he won't commit long term?
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