Any Movement on the Quinn Hughes and Nikita Kucherov Extensions
While everyone is focused on the trade request for Dylan Larkin and Connor Hellebuyck, along with the unsigned RFA defensemen Simon Edvinsson and Alexander Nikishin, Nikita Kucherov and Quinn Hughes remained unsigned.
NHL Rumors: Status Quo Between Quinn Hughes and the Minnesota Wild
Many assumed both players would have been signed by now, especially a guy like Kucherov. The Tampa Bay Lightning, under GM Julien BriseBois, usually handle their business on July 1st, but the market has changed, and he saw what happened with Steve Stamkos a few seasons ago. So the roles have been reversed.
As we have seen with Quinn Hughes, he has told the media he will do things on his time. The player continues to take a wait-and-see approach as he continues to impact the lineup in Minnesota. GM Bill Guerin hoped this would be done by now, but he isn’t panicking just yet.
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet joined SiriusXM NHL Network Radio with Scott Laughlin and Gord Stellick to discuss the extensions for Quinn Hughes with the Minnesota Wild and Nikita Kucherov with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
NHLRumors.com Transcriptions
Scott Laughlin: “Anything moving as far as you can get a sense of with regards to Quinn Hughes with Minnesota and Nikita Kucherov with what I would assume would be an expected extension with the Tampa Bay Lightning.”
Elliotte Friedman: “In Hughes’ case, I just think that I think it’s all on him as, well, when he’s ready. Minnesota has let it be known that they’re willing to write a big check at basically whatever term Hughes wanted. Right now, he just hasn’t done it. And I think Hughes, it’s basically in his court. Like, when are you ready?
Should There Be Concern That Nikita Kucherov Doesn’t Have a Contract Extension?
And the Lightning one. It’s a little bit harder to figure out what is going on there. The only thing I’ve heard is that, like a lot of other cases, there’s a big question about how much the world has changed post-Leo Carlsson there. And I just think they’re trying to find the sweet spot as to what that is. Because I think there was probably, it sounds like there was a pre-Carlsson number, and then everything changed. And they haven’t gotten to a post-Carlsson number yet.”
Whenever these players sign their extensions, the numbers will be high. But it could be shorter-term deals than many think.
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