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NHL Rumor Roundup: The Latest On Quinn Hughes And Drake Batherson
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Contract negotiations continue for Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes and Ottawa Senators winger Drake Batherson, but there are sticking points that need to be ironed out
Quinn Hughes’ future with the
Minnesota Wild has been an ongoing storyline throughout the NHL
off-season
Hughes, 26, is slated to become
an unrestricted free agent next July unless the Wild sign him to an
extension. He’s entering the final season of a six-year contract
with an average annual value of $7.85 million
Winner of the Norris Trophy in
2023-24, Hughes has established himself among the league’s elite
defensemen. He provided a significant boost to the Wild since his
acquisition from the Vancouver Canucks last December, helping them to
a 104-point
performance and winning their first playoff series since the 2014-15 season
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The Wild see Hughes as a key part
of their Stanley Cup hopes. Earlier this month, general manager Bill
Guerin said negotiations with the defenseman’s camp were ongoing.
However, he cautioned that it would take time to get him signed, just
like his efforts to get Kirill Kaprizov under contract last year.
That deal didn’t get finalized until Sept. 30
On Aug. 14, Michael Russo and Joe
Smith of The Athleticreported that the majority of Wild fans polled
still believe Guerin will get Hughes signed
Russo indicated that leaguee
cost of signing talent has risen sharply this summer, making it more
difficult than management expected
Earlier this summer, it was
reported that the Wild hope to get Hughes signed to an eight-year
extension before Sept. 15. After that date, the maximum term for
re-signing players drops from eight years to seven
thehockeynews.comFive NHL Players Who Could Sign Eight-Year Extensions Before Time Runs OutAfter Ville Koivunen’s eight-year extension with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the NHL’s incoming change to maximum contract lengths has quickly come into focus. Who are some players that could sign for eight years before these changes come into effect?
However, it appears that hughes prefers a shorter term. Russo speculated that the superstar
blueliner’s next contract could be five years or less with an
average annual value within the $19-million range
Barring an unexpected breakdown
in negotiations, it’s likely that Hughes gets an extension done before the season begins. Some observers think that he could be waiting
to see how much Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar gets in his
next contract
Like Hughes, the 28-year-old
Makar is set to become a UFA next July and could get a raise that makes him
the first player in league history to earn an AAV of $20 million
Speaking of pending UFAs, Drake
Batherson and the Ottawa Senators continue to discuss a contract
extension
The 28-year-old winger is in
the final season of a six-year deal with a $4.9-million cap hit. He
reportedly wants to stay with the Senators, and they are determined
to keep him in the fold
thehockeynews.comOpinion: It’s Time For The Senators To Make Drake Batherson Their Highest-Paid PlayerThe Ottawa Senators have absorbed some devastating roster moves this summer. The big issue on Ottawa’s horizon is the next contract for star winger Drake Batherson. What will Batherson’s next deal look like – and will he want to stay in Canada’s capital for the long-term?
Unlike Hughes, Batherson wants
the maximum eight-year extension, according to a PostMedia report.
However, the clock is ticking on reaching an agreement before the
Sept. 15 deadline
The report also suggested that
Batherson seeks a deal comparable to those of Adrian Kempe of the Los
Angeles Kings and Alex Tuch of the Washington Capitals. Both are on
eight-year contracts, with Kempe earning an AAV of $10.6-million
and Tuch $10.5-million
Both sides have time to get a
deal done, but the longer Batherson goes unsigned, the more uneasy
Senators fans will be about his future in Ottawa
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