There was a spirited battle along the boards on Thursday afternoon at TRIA Rink in downtown St. Paul. It featured superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes mano a mano with superstar winger Matt Boldy in a drill designed to get the juices flowing early in training camp.

Let’s just say Hughes didn’t look like somebody who was holding back as the Wild got rolling. He also didn’t sound like somebody who was holding back talking to reporters in the immediate aftermath.

The elephant in the room came up rather quickly as Hughes was asked when he planned to sit down with general manager Bill Guerin to talk about a contract extension with the Wild.

The answer from Hughes followed the same messaging he has leaned on throughout the process. He emphasized that he doesn’t feel stressed to get a deal done before the Wild drop the puck for the Oct. 1 opener against the Nashville Predators, then adding an interesting nugget, saying, “That’s not saying that something won’t.”

It seems like Hughes is interested in engaging in discussions with the Wild now that he’s back in town. It also seems like the Wild are willing to offer Hughes the maximum $20.8 million annually that they’re allowed via the new collective bargaining agreement.

As he laid out the situation at hand, Hughes noted that superstar winger Kirill Kaprizov waited until later in the process to sign a contract extension with the Wild. It wasn’t until on Sept. 30 that Kaprizov finally came to the table, signing an unprecedented eight-year, $136 million

That’s why it’s not worth panicking while waiting for Hughes to sign a contract extension with the Wild. Not at least for another week and a half.

Though the New Jersey Devils offer the appeal of getting to team up with his brothers Jack and Luke as soon as next summer, Quinn made it clear that he wasn’t going to sacrifice a great spot for him to play with them.

“I’m really happy here,” Hughes said. “I love the guys.”

This doesn’t sound like a negotiation where Guerin has been constantly reaching out and getting ghosted. This feels more like Hughes wanting to get away from it all after arguably the busiest calendar year of his life.

After winning a gold medal with Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Hughes turned into a celebrity of sorts. That opened a bunch of doors for him, whether it was getting to appear on the The Tonight Show, getting to walk out Morgan Wallen during his concert at the Big House, or getting to attend the U.S. Open.

Naturally, Hughes leaned into all of it, while also taking some time to hang out with his brothers back in their home state of Michigan. He’s forgiven for not getting around to talking about a contract extension with the Wild.

It makes sense that Hughes would rather have these conversations with Guerin in person. That’s not to say a deal couldn’t have gotten done this summer. It’s moreso a reminder to pump the brakes and acknowledge that it always felt more likely than it was going to get done this fall.

The doom and gloom is understandable in the Twin Cities, where being fatalistic about the local sports teams is more or less a rite of passage.

There’s another reason that it feels like there’s a good chance that Hughes signs a contract extension with the Wild. Just listen to the way Hughes talked about Guerin when asked about the Wild and their perpetual hunt for a No. 1 center.

“I have so much trust in Billy,” Hughes said. “It’s not like I have to freakin’ poke at Billy to do something.”

Does that sound like somebody who’s ready to walk away?

Even if the Devils offer the appeal of Hughes getting to play with his brothers, they don’t have nearly the amount of top tier talent that the Wild have in Kaprizov, Boldy and star defenseman Brock Faber. Logically it makes too much sense for Hughes to sign, say, a three-year deal, giving the Wild a chance to win a Stanley Cup in that window, and him a chance to bail if things go sideways.

This becomes a much different conversation if the calendar turns to next month and the Wild start playing games without Hughes having signed to a contract extension. It’s worth thinking about. Just not worth worrying about right now.