Quinn Hughes Leads Daily Faceoff’s 2027 NHL Free Agent Rankings Ahead Of Nikita Kucherov

Quinn Hughes Leads Daily Faceoff’s 2027 Free Agent Rankings© Instagram

Minnesota has already paid a hefty price for Quinn Hughes. Keeping him will require another commitment, and Bill Guerin is still waiting to find out whether the defenseman wants to make it.

Hughes ranks first on Matt Larkin's November 7 list of the NHL's top 25 potential unrestricted free agents for 2027, ahead of Tampa Bay winger Nikita Kucherov. Dallas' Jason Robertson takes third. Hughes will be 27 on July 1, young enough for his next club to buy several prime seasons rather than gamble on how much a veteran has left.

Hughes Leaves Guerin With An Uncomfortable Wait

The Wild sent Marco Rossi, Liam Ohgren, Zeev Buium and a first-round pick to Vancouver for Hughes last season. His current contract costs $7.85 million against the cap, a figure unlikely to survive his next negotiation.

Guerin's October 28 appearance on WCCO Radio offered little sign of movement. He said Hughes' camp knew Minnesota's position, but conversations about the extension had gone quiet. The general manager sounded reluctant to chase an answer.

“What am I gonna do? Like go, ‘please, please, please, please?'” Guerin said. He had not settled on a course of action if Hughes remained unsigned. There was no date circled for a decision, either.

That uncertainty has followed Hughes through a productive start in Minnesota. Guerin praised his play during the interview and made clear that his immediate attention remained on the team's results. He was considerably less definite about what happens next.

Larkin floated a three-year extension as one possibility, potentially aligning Quinn's next free agency with brother Jack's. That is the columnist's suggestion, rather than a proposal either side has disclosed.

Kucherov's Future Adds Another Complication

Kucherov sits behind Hughes despite a résumé featuring two Stanley Cups and two Hart Trophies. His eight-year, $76 million contract expires after this season. Tampa Bay has said it does not intend to trade him. Larkin's assessment is more pessimistic about an extension, reporting that Kucherov could finish the season with the Lightning and leave in July.

Robertson's situation offers a different wrinkle. His one-year agreement carries a $12 million cap hit, and he cannot sign an extension until January 1, according to Daily Faceoff.

Sidney Crosby is fourth, followed by Pittsburgh teammate Erik Karlsson. The striking part of that top five is the age spread: Hughes and Robertson will be 27 when free agency opens; Crosby will be 39 and Karlsson 37.