Quinn Hughes contract update (Imagn Images)Minnesota Wild's pursuit of locking down Quinn Hughes for the long term is picking up real momentum. Insider David Pagnotta confirmed on the "Hello Hockey" podcast that the two sides are "getting there" on a new deal, with figures floating around $17 million per season or higher. That number alone would rewrite the defenseman pay scale across the entire league. It arrives at a moment when the Wild cannot afford ambiguity: Hughes is heading into the final year of a contract paying him $7.85 million, and every passing week without a signature adds noise Minnesota doesn't need.How close are the Wild to signing Quinn Hughes to a record extension?The deal is close enough that Wild owner Craig Leipold has already gone public with his intent, saying the team will get Quinn Hughes signed and wants the term to run as long as possible. The gap, reportedly, is on length rather than money. Hughes is said to prefer something shorter, around three years, which would keep his timeline aligned with his brother Jack's contract situation in New Jersey. That kind of term at $17 million-plus annually would still be a franchise-altering commitment.Minnesota's willingness to pay at the very top isn't new. When the Wild handed Kirill Kaprizov $17 million per season, it sent a message about where this organisation sees itself. Hughes would match that ceiling or exceed it, making him the most expensive blueliner in NHL history. The Wild paid an enormous price to acquire him from Vancouver in December, sending away Zeev Buium, Marco Rossi, Liam Ohgren, and a first-round pick. That's not a move a front office makes for a rental. Bill Guerin and the Wild brass did that trade believing an extension was the natural conclusion.Quinn Hughes validated every bit of that faith. He posted 53 points across 48 regular-season games in Minnesota while averaging over 27 minutes per night, then added 15 more points in the playoffs. The Wild finished 46-24-12 for 104 points. This isn't a rebuild looking for reasons to be optimistic. The window is open right now, and Hughes is the reason.What does a Quinn Hughes deal mean for New Jersey and the Devils?There was genuine speculation, particularly among New Jersey circles, that Hughes might test free agency and join brothers Jack and Luke with the Devils. The Devils carry enough cap flexibility to make a run, and the appeal of a sibling reunion on the same roster isn't hard to understand.But if Minnesota closes this out at $17 million or above, that conversation ends. It also sharpens another question: if Quinn stays in Minnesota, does Jack consider his own future in New Jersey differently? Hughes with Kaprizov already eats deep into Minnesota's payroll. Whether the Wild could realistically pursue Jack Hughes as well becomes a legitimate cap puzzle. A short-term deal for Quinn keeps the door ajar, but it doesn't swing wide open.For now, the Wild are close to confirming that their blockbuster December trade was the start of something, not a gamble.