Wild Week Ahead: Schedule & Storylines – Start of 2026-27 Training Camp

NHL rookie camps started up this past weekend, and later this week, training camps will get underway. The Minnesota Wild will start their training camp on Thursday, Sept. 17, with their first preseason game following shortly after. It’s going to be a bit different this season with only four preseason games and 84 regular season games. 

With the preseason a bit shorter, the regular season will be able to start a week earlier than in the past, so players looking to crack the lineup will not have much time to prove themselves. The Wild will have a couple of days all together before they face their first opponent of the preseason and really get things going. Here are a few storylines to pay attention to for the week of Sept. 14 – Sept. 21. 

Wild Rookies Have Short Window

Three weeks isn’t a lot of time for a player to show everything they can do, but that time frame is getting even shorter for those hopeful players wanting to make a good impression. The players have already made some kind of impression if they’re invited to training camp and the team’s staff knows some of what they’re looking at, but they need to see them on their own ice and in their system to know what they’ve truly got. 

These players will have one less week to show their skills and try to prove they have what it takes to make the final cut. However, with two fewer preseason games, that two-week window is actually shorter because the permanent roster players will likely play in at least two of those four preseason games compared to three or four games out of six from past seasons that had longer preseasons. 

These players will have to find ways to showcase their skills in a short amount of time, and it’ll be interesting to see what they can do to stand out. It’s also going to be a different experience for everyone as they adjust to the shorter preseason and slightly longer regular season. 

Wild’s Quinn Hughes Hasn’t Signed Yet

Quinn Hughes has yet to sign an extension with the Wild or make his future plans clear for where he wants to play following this season. It’s been one of the major storylines of the offseason, and it looks like it will continue to be as the season starts up. Of course, Wild fans are hopeful Hughes will sign an extension, which will give their team the best chance for success, while New Jersey Devils fans, where Quinn’s brothers, Jack and Luke, play, hope Quinn won’t sign and will decide to join the Devils to play with his brothers. 

While his contract future remains uncertain, at least at this time, what is for sure is that Quinn will start the season with the Wild. He has one year left on his contract, and currently that is with the Wild. Now, if he decides he would like to leave, that does still give the Wild an option to trade, so they don’t lose him for nothing during free agency. 

It’s not uncommon for players to wait until right before camp to sign, but Quinn doesn’t appear to be in any hurry to sign, especially after hearing what he had to say during his media appearance for the NHL/NHLPA North American Media Tour.

“This is going to be done whenever I feel like it needs to be done,” Hughes said to the media on the tour and continued, “I don’t feel backed up against a wall. I’m very thoughtful. I want to make sure I’m taking my time on everything and make sure I’m making a decision that is going to be good for everyone. That’s kind of where my head has been at.” 

Of course, if he doesn’t sign, they’re all professionals and know how to deal with this, but it’ll still be in the back of their minds. Hopefully, for the Wild’s sake, if Hughes is going to sign an extension with them, he does so soon so the focus can be on the season at hand.

Wild Schedule Sept. 14 – Sept. 21