Minnesota Wild
Forget Quinn To New Jersey, What About Jack Hughes To Minnesota?
If Jack Hughes wants to play with his brother Quinn, could that come in Minnesota instead of New Jersey?
After months of speculation, the Quinn Hughes sweepstakes finally came to an end last week, with the Minnesota Wild emerging victorious, landing the second-best defenseman in the world for a substantial package in return.
Several other suitors were reportedly in the mix, though none came close to matching what Bill Guerin had to offer—including the New Jersey Devils.
Much of the hockey world still believes that no matter how things go in Minnesota, Quinn will eventually bolt for the Garden State to join his brothers, Jack and Luke. It’s an understandable assumption, and until he signs an extension with the Wild, it will very much remain a see-it-to-believe-it situation.
That said, Quinn has seemed very appreciative of Guerin for “sacking up” to acquire him, so could he instead try to recruit his brothers—Jack in particular—to join him in Minnesota? Keith Yandle, Paul Bissonnette, and Ryan Whitney of Spittin’ Chiclets certainly aren’t ruling it out.
“But why can’t the brothers go play in Minnesota? No one ever said it has to be in New Jersey,”
“Bingo,”
“Jack has three years left. And I’m not trying to throw any shade or anything, you’ve got Quinn, and you’ve got Jack. Right now, you go way down, and you’ve got Luke. Now, they’re brothers right? But I’m saying in terms of the type of players were talking about, Luke is not near those other two guys. So like, what’s stopping Jack from being like, I’m going to go to Minnesota when this deal is done,”
The 24-year-old Hughes is in the fourth season of the eight-year, $64 million extension he signed with the Devils back in 2021. He’s not eligible to become a free agent until the end of the 2029-30 season.
The Missing Piece in Minnesota is a Center
Whether acquiring Jack is a realistic possibility anytime soon remains to be seen, but there’s little doubt that a true number-one center is the final piece missing in Minnesota, and Hughes would be a perfect fit.
Joel Eriksson Ek currently holds that role for the Wild, with Danila Yurov and Ryan Hartman slotted in behind him. Minnesota might be able survive with that setup, given how strong the rest of the roster is, but if they run into a team like Colorado or Dallas in the playoffs and come up short, the need for a legitimate first-line centerman will only become more pronounced.
Bringing another Hughes to the State of Hockey is a pipe dream at this point, but if Quinn settles in and commits long-term, speculation about Jack eventually joining him could grow just as loud as the rumors that linked Quinn to New Jersey over the past several months.
Next: Frustrations Mounting for Zach Werenski in Columbus, Something to Monitor?
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