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Russo's Rants because of how much hockey talk they love. And it's not just talking about hockey. It's very, very detailed." Brady Tkachuk, Hughes' Former team- mate Brady Tkachuk thinks Hughes' hockey-nerd side is less about memoriz- ing stats or moments than just thinking the game aloud while watching it and try- ing to think a step ahead. "It's more about plays," Tkachuk said. "On the power play, he's like, 'Oh, this is what's happening. A perfect shot right there.' Then he'll shift in there for a forward to tip it. He sees the game so differently. "That's why he's the player he is." BIG SWING The trade for the Wild was gutsy because Hughes only has one year left on his con- tract before he can become an unrestricted free agent. His arrival came with no assur- ances that he'll re-sign when he's eligible for an extension this summer. But the Wild have rolled out the red carpet for Hughes and they plan to immediately come at him with a huge offer this summer. Hughes has said all the right things since he got here. He loves Minnesota, loves how good the team is, loves how he has fit in so far. And being the knowledgeable hockey guy he is, he said he will take into account just how many pieces the Wild were willing to give up to get him. "Extremely open-minded," Hughes said. "They got an amazing core. Just obviously I've only been here four hours, but getting to know some of the guys and how energetic and positive guys are, and then Minnesota being so close to Michigan and just the State of Hockey and the passion here. Just seeing how the fans reacted to me as well in warmups, and then obviously I got a lot of time for Billy for making the deal like he did and just how he valued me." But when it comes down to it, Hughes just wanted to win. If he does in Minnesota, that will go a long way toward him staying for a long time. That's why it's expected that Guerin will take another big swing and try to add a cen- ter before the trade deadline. The Wild, with Hughes in tow, feel like they're oh-so close to being a true contender for the Stanley Cup. "He just wants to win," Boeser said. "That's who he is. He wants to win so bad, and he's very driven to be the best player he can be and help a team out. I think he's just super happy he's in a winning culture, and if they keep winning, I don't see why he wouldn't re-sign." Added Hughes' dad, Jim, "He's really enjoying it. It's a hockey market. It's a hockey state. And you have an exception- ally good team with a lot of talented players. It's an older team. It's a team that's built to win. And so I think he's really appreciating the group in so many ways." Michael Russo writes for The Athletic. This is his 21st season covering the Wild and 31st covering the National Hockey League after previously covering the Florida Panthers. He co-hosts the Worst Seats in the House podcast on talknorth.com, which can be heard wherever you get your pod- casts. Russo can be heard weekly on KFAN (100.3-FM) and seen throughout the hockey season on NHL Network. Follow Russo on X and Instagram at @RussoHockey and Facebook at /michaelrussohockey. To sub- scribe to The Athletic, go to nytimes.com/ athletic/author/michael-russo and click any article for a discount. M H J ON L I N E . C O M | M A R C H 2 0 2 6 30 Photo / Getty Images P R E S E N T E D B Y Quinn's skating ability and edge work allow him to hold on to the puck, create space and generate offense.