Quinn Hughes' rumored trade to the Devils takes an unexpected turn

Quinn Hughes trade rumors swirled around the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night, and one insider already stomped them out.

Michael Russo of The Athletic says league sources have told him Minnesota has not talked with New Jersey, or anyone else, about moving Hughes.

That should calm things down. For now, anyway.

"To add to this, Michael Russo says that he's been told by league sources Minnesota has not talked with New Jersey or anyone else about a Quinn Hughes trade."

The 26-year-old defenseman just wrapped a monster season, posting 76 points in 74 games while anchoring the Wild's top pairing on the back end.

Only 7 of those points came off his own stick. The other 69 were assists, a ridiculous number for anyone patrolling the blue line.

He kept producing in the playoffs, too, piling up 15 points across 11 games before Minnesota's run ended with a 4-3 overtime loss to Colorado on May 13.

The Wild finished the regular season 46-24-12 with 104 points and a plus-32 goal differential, good enough for third in the Central.

Hughes and Cale Makar may be watching each other's next move

New Jersey finished with a minus-24 goal differential at 42-37-3, but the Devils still beat Minnesota both times the two teams met this season.

Which makes the whole rumor feel a little odd. Why would a team chasing playoff stability go all in on a defenseman his own market hasn't even locked up yet?

Elliotte Friedman said on 32 Thoughts this week he'll get concerned if Hughes isn't signed before the season starts, and he doesn't think the two sides have talked lately.

Friedman also floated a theory worth sitting with: maybe Hughes and Avalanche star Cale Makar are both watching each other, waiting to see who blinks first on term and dollars.

Guerin has stayed quiet publicly through all of it, and there's no indication from Russo's reporting that trade talks are coming anytime soon.

But contract standoffs have a way of turning into trade rumors even when nobody wants them to. Just ask any front office that's waited too long on a franchise piece.

For now, Hughes is a Wild player with no extension and no takers. That combination rarely stays quiet for long.