Quinn Hughes is making waves with his standout performances for the Minnesota Wild. The team sits second in the Central Division with a 32-14-10 record and is on a hot streak, with six wins in their last eight games.
Their latest highlight came in a commanding 7-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday, where Hughes was once again the driving force on the ice.
Quinn Hughes Already Rewriting Wild Records
Hughes contributed a goal and an assist in Saturday’s win, extending his assist streak to eight consecutive games. That streak now stands as the longest by a defenseman in Wild history — the second-longest among all skaters, just behind Kirill Kaprizov’s nine-game streak in 2022-23.
In addition, Hughes became the fastest player in Wild history to reach 20 points. He achieved the milestone in just 18 games, another record in what has been an impressive start to his Minnesota career.
The Wild acquired Hughes in a blockbuster trade with Vancouver, sending Marco Rossi, Liam Öhgren, Zeev Buium, and a 2026 first-round pick to the Canucks. The results have been immediate.
Prior to Hughes’ arrival, Minnesota’s defense ranked 29th in the NHL in scoring. Since his debut on Dec. 14, the Wild’s blue line has surged to first in the league with 74 points. Hughes alone has recorded 29 points in 24 games, carries a +10 rating, and averages over 28 minutes of ice time per night.
Reflecting on his first months with the team, Hughes shared on Saturday, “Obviously, it’s been a little bit adjustment in the first couple of games, but after Christmas really been rolling here. It’s been enjoyable, I’m really enjoying playing with Fabes (Brock Faber) and coaching staff are great, power plays are fun, you know, get a lot of reps out there… It’s been really enjoyable. The guys are great. No complaints here.”
Hughes is in the fifth season of his six-year, $47.1 million contract and is set to become an unrestricted free agent after next season. Given the immediate impact he’s had, the Wild have plenty of motivation to work toward a long-term deal. A deep playoff run could also help show Hughes that Minnesota is a true Stanley Cup contender, not just another talented team stuck just short of the ultimate prize.
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For now, the focus shifts to Monday’s matchup against the Montreal Canadiens, with the hope that Hughes’ historic streak keeps driving the team forward.
He’s under contract for 1 more season after this.