The Minnesota Wild lost to the Philadelphia Flyers, 3-2, in a shootout on Friday. Still, Minnesota is firmly in the third spot in the Central Division and prepared for a playoff run. Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes picked up his 60th assist, which The Athletic's Michael Russo says made history, not seen since Hall-of-Fame defenseman Paul Coffey.
“60 assists in 60 games for Quinn Hughes. The last defenseman with at least 60 in 60 games was Paul Coffey in 1992-93. 39 assists in 34 games with the [Wild],” Russo reported.
Hughes was traded from the Vancouver Canucks to the Wild in December for a haul of prospects and a draft pick. It pushed Minnesota onto a tier with the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars, the top two teams in the Central Division. According to StatMuse, only the Stars have more points among Western Conference teams since the Hughes trade.
Hughes is one of the premier offensive defensemen in the NHL, proving that point for Team USA in the Olympics. He scored the game-winning goal in overtime against Sweden, which pushed the Americans into the semi-finals. It was his brother, Jack, who scored the game-winner for the gold medal.
The assist on Matt Boldy's second-period goal was Hughes' 59th, while a secondary helper on Kirill Kaprizov's tally got him to 60. This is his fifth consecutive season with 60 assists. His career high is 75, from his Norris Trophy 2023-24 season, so he will have to turn it up in the final 12 games to reach that plateau.
The Wild have Hughes under contract for next season, but after that, he could become one of the biggest free agents in the history of the sport. Rumors have swirled for years that he wants to play with his brothers on the New Jersey Devils. But the Wild already made a massive commitment to him with the trade. Will he sign an extension on July 1, when he becomes eligible?
