Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin denied recent speculation that contract negotiations with star defenseman Quinn Hughes have gotten rocky.
"The only thing I can say is we have a great relationship with Quinn," Guerin said Monday on "Judd's Hockey Show" on SKOR North Radio, per NHL.com. The team, me personally, I have a great relationship with his agent. Things are going well. We are talking all the time. There's good communication."
Guerin added, "The relationship is there. It's good. There's just so much outside noise with podcasters and guys like that, Instagram guys, TikTok. Things are good. I feel like I'm pretty honest in my interviews. There are things I just can't say, but communication is really good."
Hughes became eligible to sign an extension with Minnesota on July 1. The Wild are reportedly still confident they can sign the former Norris Trophy winner to a new deal, but chatter about Hughes' future with the club grew louder after Cale Makar signed a record eight-year extension with the Colorado Avalanche.
Hughes and Makar are widely considered the top two defensemen in the NHL, and the latter's new $20.4-million cap hit could influence Hughes' asking price.
"And that works for him," Guerin said of Makar. "Now, what we're dealing with is these guys hit free agency a lot younger than we used to. They make more significant dollars early in their careers than ever before in the game. So when they come to be 27, 28, 29 years old and a free agent, they've already got a super-secure financial base."
The Wild are projected to have over $45 million in cap space for the 2027-28 season, when Hughes' new deal would kick in. However, Minnesota only has 11 players signed for that campaign.
Hughes currently makes $7.85 million annually. The Wild acquired him from the Vancouver Canucks last season, and he put up 53 points in 48 games after the blockbuster trade. The 26-year-old was also a core piece of the United States' gold-medal winning Olympic roster, which Guerin constructed as GM.
