Did Bill Guerin hint at Wild's next targets if he can't extend Quinn Hughes?

The Wild have been locked into negotiations with star defenseman Quinn Hughes all summer. Despite both sides saying they would like to extend the relationship past this upcoming season, so far no deal has been finalized, with just under a month until the regular season begins.

Wild GM Bill Guerin said in several interviews at the State Fair on Monday that he was "confident" an extension would be worked out.

However, an answer to a separate line of questioning has caught the ears of those in Canada. Guerin's remarks about the team's center position may have given us an insight into his targets if he fails to secure a Hughes extension.

When asked by KFAN's Dan Barreiro on Monday if he believes he has a No. 1 center, Guerin responded, "I like to think (Joel Eriksson Ek) is a No. 1 center. I think ideally he is the No. 2 center in the game."

It was the next part of Guerin's quote that sent warning signs to several teams across the border.

"When you talk about No. 1 centers, you're talking about (Connor) McDavid and (Auston) Matthews. And guys like that, they just don't come around all that often," said Guerin. "Look, centers, they're tough to come by. (At) any level. Honestly, we're talking about depth guys, and we need centers. They're just hard to come by."

Guerin name-dropping McDavid and Matthews out of the blue set off alarm bells in Canada.

"To any hockey fan of the Leafs or Oilers who just heard that, you need to realize something, in this moment," said Toronto sports talk host Sid Seixeiro. "If you weren't that interested in the Quinn Hughes story, you better get interested. Because you now are really rooting for the Minnesota Wild to sign this guy to a massive deal, and get out of the free agent market in two years' time. Because, arguably, the most aggressive GM in hockey, in an unsolicited way, brought up two guys in Matthews and McDavid, who are about to be free agents in less than two years.

"If they don't sign Quinn Hughes in Minnesota, that money from owner Craig Leipold is sitting right there on the table. You better hope they sign Quinn Hughes in Minnesota, or there's going to be an added market problem to Matthews' free agency, and McDavid's, that you might not have seen coming. And it's not that far away in Minnesota."

This isn't the first time Guerin has mentioned Matthews. After the trade deadline passed in March, Guerin told TSN Radio in Canada, "I think the world of him."

Matthews captained the United States men's hockey team to a gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. Guerin was the general manager who constructed the U.S. roster.

While the Wild have been searching for an agreement with Hughes on a long-term extension, they also have been in the hunt for a No. 1 center. That hunt has frequently focused on Detroit's Dylan Larkin, who requested a trade back in June.

Notably, Guerin refused in the three interviews he did at the fair on Monday to discuss the ongoing trade talks with Detroit. However, as the situation has evolved over the summer, it appears less and less likely that Minnesota, by itself, has the pieces to pull off a trade for the Red Wings captain.

If the Wild can't land Larkin, and somehow miss out on retaining Hughes, then Guerin's eyes will almost certainly look towards the next big fish he can land.

Matthews is in a bit of an interesting situation in Toronto, where the Maple Leafs are seemingly in the midst of another overhaul. At 28, how likely is it that one of the league's best centers, in the league's most hockey-crazed market, is going to want to sit through a rebuild?

Matthews has two years left on his current deal that pays out $13.25 million annually. If the Wild don't have the pieces to pull off a trade for Larkin, there's an even lower chance they have the pieces to swing a trade for a player of Matthews' caliber.

They would almost certainly need a third team involved. Or they hold on to the cash and shell out a massive contract to Matthews, who becomes a free agent ahead of his age-30 season.

McDavid, 29, has gotten close to hoisting the Stanley Cup with Edmonton. The Oilers have been to the finals in two of the last three seasons and fallen short both times. Last offseason, McDavid signed a two-year extension for well below market value to stay in Edmonton and extend their window.

However, that also is a sign that McDavid could be looking elsewhere if the Oilers can't get over the hump in the next two seasons.

Guerin has shown he's willing to be aggressive when it comes to improving the Wild. If a Hughes extension fails to materialize, then all eyes turn to what Minnesota's GM does next.

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This story was originally published by Bring Me The Sports on Sep 2, 2026, where it first appeared in the MN Wild section. Add Bring Me The Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.