There is a lot of talk coming out of Vancouver as the Canucks deal with the ongoing saga between Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller. The decisions Canucks management will affect players moving forward on the club. That includes captain and defenseman Quinn Hughes.
Canucks President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford did an interview with Gary Mason of the Globe and Mail and stated that if Vancouver has to go through a rebuild after trading one of Pettersson or Miller or both, then Norris Trophy-winning defenseman will be on the move as well.
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“If we were going to completely start over, that means he goes,” Rutherford told The Globe and Mail on Tuesday of Hughes, who is in his second season as Canucks captain. “And we’d like to figure out a way that he’s here forever.”
Adding fuel to the fire was Rick Dhaliwal, who stated that there are people around the league who believe Quinn Hughes will not re-sign with the Canucks in 2027. This is leading to many speculating that Quinn could end up with his brothers in New Jersey.
Quinn is the brother of New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes and defenseman Luke Hughes. The Hughes Brothers were featured on the cover of EA Sports NHL 25. And everyone has fantasized about playing together. But there is still a long way to get there. If that ever happens.
Quinn still has a couple of years left on his deal and has a salary cap hit of $7.85 million a season. He is not eligible to sign an extension or even negotiate for a number of a couple of seasons. Quinn is the cornerstone of the Canucks defense after being drafted seventh overall in the 2018 NHL Draft.
Any team would want Quinn Hughes’s skill, vision, and skating ability in the lineup. Of course, Quinn would love to play with his brothers. As of now, barring injuries to each player, he will play with Jack at the Four Nations Faceoff. The Hughes Brothers have talked about playing on the same team before. However, it is still a long shot it will happen.
First of all, if the Canucks were to move out Quinn Hughes when the time was right, they would be looking for a defenseman that could fill his role in return. Not to mention another NHL roster player, along with a top-level prospect and a pick. Would that be something a team like the New Jersey Devils or any team would be willing to do when they knew Quinn would not be staying in Vancouver?
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It is a hefty cost, and neither Quinn Hughes nor the Canucks are thinking about that right now. We all know how fans will see the report about a potential rebuild in Vancouver. But the Canucks are still trying to work through the mess in their locker room. Everything could change with one discussion and one trade. Similar to what happened in Winnipeg when many thought the Jets were going to lose Mark Scheifele, Connor Hellebuyck and Kyle Connor.
Once Blake Wheeler was traded, management presented the vision to the top players, and they all extended it. The same thing could happen in Vancouver with their captain. Not to mention, 2027 is still two years away. Again time moves fast, but still, the Canucks are still focused on winning.
While he improves the New Jersey Devils’ defence, will Tom Fitzgerald be able to trade for him or sign him as a free agent? With Quinn Hughes and Cale Makar viewed as two of the best defensemen in the league, Quinn could get a pay raise on his next contract that heads north of $10 million. Again, all this comes down to Cale Makar and what he gets on his next deal.
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Again, the New Jersey Devils will need the cap space to make this work. While everyone loves to play video game hockey and combine top players, sometimes, it does not work out in reality. Of course, you can think of fun scenarios involving the brothers, but none of the parties involved are there just yet—if it even gets to that point.
So, for now, Quinn Hughes is just a pipe dream for the New Jersey Devils. Could that change? Maybe, but for now, the Canucks are not moving him. Don’t let the speculation run wild.
