These are the dog days of summer, though the NHL schedule release on Thursday should create some intrigue for fans.The Minnesota Wild have completed a chunk of their offseason checklist — from acquiring Blake Coleman and Olli Määttä in a deal with the Calgary Flames to signing Russian winger Maxim Shabanov to hiring a new director of amateur scouting.But there’s still some heavy lifting left to do, including re-signing Quinn Hughes, the team’s No. 1 priority (more on that coming).There are still free agents available — notably Patrick Kane. And Dylan Larkin’s trade request remains, at least to this point, unresolved. Until Larkin is moved somewhere, it doesn’t seem like the Wild are going to be out of it.Here’s what we’re hearing on five burning questions:Any insight on Quinn Hughes’ contract talks?They’re working on it, but a deal isn’t imminent, per league sources who were granted anonymity to discuss the issue candidly. That doesn’t mean there should be a cause for concern. The Wild have made it clear that re-signing Hughes was their top priority this summer, so it’s understandable for fans to feel stressed the longer negotiations go. But we don’t expect this to be like the Kirill Kaprizov negotiations, which dragged into September. Minnesota’s management team has been quiet publicly, but as far as we know, both sides are still working toward the same goal.What we’ve reported for a while is that the deal is likely to be for three years. The contract projection is of an AAV in the $16-18 million range, depending on term, with many reasons why those numbers make sense. That would mean Minnesota would have a huge chunk of their cap in two players, with Kaprizov’s new contract ($17 million AAV) kicking in this season. That could be a challenge in roster building, but when you consider these are two of the league’s best players at their positions, and the going rate these days (see: Leo Carlsson offer sheet), this is a dilemma most GMs wouldn’t mind having.Is Dylan Larkin still in play? What are the backup options?Larkin is still in play, though things have been pretty quiet on that end. Detroit Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman is clearly being patient, looking for the right return for the face of his franchise. Yzerman said during a rare media availability around the NHL Draft that there’s no guarantee he will follow through on Larkin’s trade request. We’ve seen him hold his ground before. It certainly wouldn’t surprise us if September arrives and Larkin hasn’t moved. Ansar Khan of MLive.com reported that Larkin extended his list of preferred teams by one, adding the Dallas Stars to a group that includes the Wild, the Vegas Golden Knights and the Florida Panthers.The Wild have made their offer for Larkin, but it appears it’s not enough for Detroit, which is now looking for rostered players versus futures, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. So, things appear at a standstill. The best bet for the Wild is to end up as the last suitor after other teams have already made their big moves this summer. Dallas still has to work out what to do with star RFA Jason Robertson. The closer this saga gets to training camp, the more uncomfortable it’ll probably be for Detroit if Larkin hasn’t moved. While the Wild don’t have a lot of cap space remaining this season — around $2 million at this point — they have the ability to create some room.When asked a couple weeks ago if there’s still a path forward for a top center, Wild GM Bill Guerin said, “We remain flexible. Right now, we’re just focused on the guys we’ve got. We’ll look at everything that’s out there, and if there’s something that makes sense that’ll make our team better, we’ll do it.”As for the Nick Kypreos report that the Red Wings would want Matt Boldy in a Larkin trade, we don’t see a scenario where the Wild would move on from the winger.When it comes to backup plans, it’s difficult to say based on which players are still available. You saw Vincent Trocheck traded to the Utah Mammoth, and he was a Plan B for a lot of teams. There are no slam-dunk acquisitions left, but those opportunities could present themselves as the summer or season progresses. Our read is that Guerin would likely wait if the Wild can’t trade for Larkin. As of right now, the team’s centers will be Joel Eriksson Ek, Danila Yurov, Michael McCarron and Ryan Hartman, with both Nick Foligno and Nico Sturm possibly serving as options to allow for Hartman to move into a wing spot in the middle six.Are the Wild done pursuing forwards in free agency?Yes, it seems that the Wild’s additions of Coleman and Shabanov fill their holes up front. They pursued Anders Lee and Patrik Laine during free agency, but in hindsight, the $5.4 million AAV over three years that Lee got would probably have been too rich for Minnesota. The only exception here is if Kane becomes an option, though it appears that the Chicago Blackhawks and Buffalo Sabres are leading candidates to land the decorated winger.“I’m comfortable with where we’re at,” Guerin said. “We still have flexibility; we still have the ability to do things if we need to. I’m also comfortable with where the team is right now. This is a time where everybody’s focused on free agents, and I get that. Or the trades that are made. We can’t forget about the players we still have on our team and that have been here. I’m very confident in our guys, in the players, while remaining flexible.”What should the Wild expect from Coleman?Coleman, 34, is a versatile middle-six winger and elite penalty killer who can fill several holes in the Wild lineup. He brings needed speed up front, he’s a strong forechecker, and the Wild believe he could be an option for the second line with Eriksson Ek and Boldy. While Coleman doesn’t profile as a shoot-first, scoring winger, he is capable of producing, notching 20 goals last year for a struggling Flames team. Coleman is a two-time Cup champion with the Tampa Bay Lightning, and that experience should also help.As Lightning coach Jon Cooper once told me: “He’s not afraid to come in and shoot pucks. When you use the word ‘selfish,’ you want guys to be selfish shooting pucks, and oftentimes the players want to make that extra pass. So, just that alone will get you more goals. He creates his own with his speed and tenacity. He’ll create his own chances.“You always hear about 200-foot players, that word is thrown around,” Cooper added. “But he’s been put in situations on the defensive side and has excelled, and you throw in 20-plus (goals) a year, that’s a pretty good combination.”Are the Wild better than they were last season?This was a 104-point team last season, good enough for third place in the powerhouse Central Division. And they had to replace three of their top nine wingers, with Mats Zuccarello (Los Angeles Kings) and Vladimir Tarasenko allowed to walk in free agency, and Marcus Johansson signing in Sweden.There’s a lot to like about the Coleman addition, and Shabanov brings some intrigue, but there’s no guarantee about how the chemistry will work (can Shabanov fulfill his top-six potential and be a wingman for Kaprizov?). The Wild swapped third-pair defenseman Jake Middleton for Määttä. Their goaltending is the same, though Filip Gustavsson isn’t expected to be ready until November, so there are some holes to fill early in the schedule with Calvin Pickard.Part of the Wild’s outlook for next season depends on internal development. Can Bobby Brink embrace the opportunity and replace Tarasenko? Is Hunter Haight ready for the jump, or Charlie Stramel? The way Guerin put it the other day is that a measure of improvement can come from current contributors if they elevate their game.Considering how aggressive Guerin wants to be, it’s probably best to evaluate the roster when camp opens in mid-September. But there is a decent chance the team will open camp with this roster.