The Minnesota Wild and Vancouver Canucks completed a blockbuster trade on Friday night. Minnesota acquired superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes from Vancouver in a deal that will be discussed at length for some time. Hughes, a free agent in 2027, did not immediately agree to a contract with his new team.

To be fair, this was sort of expected. Hughes cannot actually sign a contract until July 1, according to the rules in the CBA. However, the two sides could have hashed out a sort of handshake agreement that could become reality when the new league year begins. This did not happen, but Minnesota does gain an advantage through this trade.

“(The Wild) can't extend Quinn Hughes until July 1, but they've got a great tool in their back pocket to get it done: They'll be the only team who can

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