NHL analyst believes Quinn Hughes' next contract could hit '$16 million to $17 million AAV'

Quinn Hughes has become one of the top defensemen in the NHL. His current contract with the Vancouver Canucks pays him $7.85 million per season. He is in the fourth year of a six-year deal signed in 2021, which ends after the 2026–27 season.

The Athletic’s Thomas Drance shared his thoughts on Hughes’ next contract in a Q&A column on April 8. Drance said Hughes may not win the Norris Trophy this year, but he has played at that level. He added that Hughes could be even better now than he was during his Norris-winning 2023–24 season.

Drance believes if Quinn Hughes continues this level of play, he could become one of the NHL’s best overall players. With the NHL salary cap expected to rise to $113.5 million, elite player contracts may also increase.

Drance compared Hughes’ future value to current star contracts like Auston Matthews' and Leon Draisaitl's, who are earning around $13 to $14 million annually under an $88.5 million cap. With that in mind, Drance projected Hughes could land a deal worth $16 million to $17 million per season in the future.

"When Hughes’ current contract expires, the upper limit of the NHL salary cap is projected to be in the $113.5 million range," Drance said. "A $13 million valuation, when viewed proportionally to the projected cap increase across the next two seasons, could move into the $16 million to $17 million per year range."

Quinn Hughes has been a key leader for the Canucks this season. He has scored 72 points in 63 games while providing strong two-way play. Despite Vancouver’s struggles, Hughes has stayed consistent and reliable.

While Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller rift rumors were at it's peak, it was Hughes who was driving the Canucks' play. The Canucks are still fighting for a playoff spot, but sit eight points back of the final wild card, held by Minnesota Wild.

Quinn Hughes did not generate offense during Canucks' loss to Knights

The Vancouver Canucks lost 3-2 to the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday. Quinn Hughes had no points or shots despite playing 26:42 minutes.

Nils Hoglander scored first for Vancouver at 4:46 of the first period. Ivan Barbashev tied it 1-1 just four minutes later. Nicolas Roy made it 2-1 for Vegas after his rebound hit a Canucks defender and went in.

Aatu Raty tied it 2-2 in the second period by scoring on a rebound. Vegas challenged for interference, but the goal stood. Victor Olofsson scored the game-winner at 16:46 of the third period. The Canucks have now lost four of their last five games.