Canucks star defenseman Quinn Hughes will have until September 15, 2026, at the latest, to be eligible for an eight-year contract extension instead of seven years. <a href='https://www.hockeylatest.com/nhl-team/vancouver-canucks/insider-reveals-quinn-hughes-time-in-vancouver-could-be-running-out-if-the-team-does-not-rapidly-improve' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>There have been trade rumors</a> surrounding Quinn Hughes ever since Canucks President Jim Rutherford expressed the idea that the club captain would likely want to line up with his brothers, Jack and Luke, of the New Jersey Devils, at some point. While a trade would be likely before the 2026-27 deadline, should no extension be agreed upon, the preference of Vancouver would be to tie Quinn Hughes up long-term. They might even have some leverage due to the NHL's new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which will go into effect on September 15, 2026. As Thomas Drance explained in 'The Athletic', the future CBA would cap deals agreed upon after the fact at no more than seven years of contract (prior to July 1 if the player would be in UFA status) or six years if agreed upon in free agency. <h3>The Canucks now have 14 months to offer Hughes an eight-year deal</h3> That would leave the Canucks with a 14-month window to extend Hughes to the eight-year maximum, which the Canucks would be unable to do after the new measures take effect. The exact date they have until is now September 15, 2026, the same date that the current CBA expires and transitions to the new one, <a href='https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/canucks-hockey/nhl-new-cba-vancouver-canucks-advantage-in-re-sign-quinn-hughes-contract-extension-10954207' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>which is a complete shift in their timeline.</a> Next summer, for example, when Hughes becomes extension eligible, initial contract talks between the club and his camp will be governed by the previous (current) CBA. Until mid-September 2026, effectively, Vancouver will be able to offer Hughes an eight-year extension. Once that deadline passes, however, Hughes' next deal will be governed by the rules of the next CBA, limiting him to just a seven-year max term. Drance said. This puts the Canucks in the perfect position: if they can strike the contract prior to the deadline, they can potentially have Hughes signed for the long term under the current circumstances. <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/CanucksArmy/status/1945921589444288832'><div style='border:1px solid #CCCCCC;border-radius:10px;padding:20px;width:300px;'>Loading from Twitter ...</div></a></blockquote></div> With league cap constraints soaring skyward, Hughes' next contract would be unprecedented. The extension could go up to the average annual rate of around $13-$13.5 million, or more, since he falls among the league's top defensemen.