Have the Canucks Done Enough to Avoid a Quinn Hughes Trade?

The Vancouver Canucks will be asking themselves two questions for most of the summer: have they built a competitive team and have they done enough to ensure captain Quinn Hughes isn’t thinking about leaving? A team that has disappointed and experienced significant turnover has made substantial changes. Some of that was to improve their spot in the Pacific Division standings. Some of it was because they knew Hughes might be thinking about his future outside of Vancouver.

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While Hughes is under contract through the 2026-27 season, speculation about his future is heating up, with the President already admitting that it’s on their mind that Hughes might want to join his brothers in New Jersey. Both Jack and Luke play with the Devils, and there’s no doubt that if Hughes hits the free agency market, GM Tom Fitzgerald will go all in.

Quinn Hughes Remains Linked to the Devils

NHL Network’s Mike Johnson revisited the idea that Hughes could eventually reunite with his siblings in New Jersey, a scenario that has gained traction in league circles. It’s one of the first times the idea has been mentioned again since the draft and free agency opened. Between then and now, the Canucks have made roster adjustments.

President Jim Rutherford openly acknowledged, “This franchise cannot afford to lose a guy like Quinn Hughes. We will do everything we can to keep him here…”

To their credit, the Canucks have taken some swings. They re-signed key forward Brock Boeser to a seven-year extension and acquired veteran winger Evander Kane to bolster the top six. Goaltender Thatcher Demko also inked a lucrative three-year extension. The team did lose Pius Suter to the Blues, but managed to extend Conor Garland. Is that enough? It’s hard to say.

Hughes, who posted an impressive 76 points in just 68 games last season, is undoubtedly the heart of Vancouver’s blue line. He’s one of, if not the best, defenseman in the NHL. It will be incumbent upon the Canucks to continue proving they can build a winner, and the organization’s recent decisions demonstrate a commitment to winning now.

Nothing guarantees Hughes will commit to the Canucks long-term. Until he signs an extension, there will be questions about whether winning can outweigh the pull of family ties. Still, the Canucks have to give themselves the best chance of avoiding the need for a trade.

The next two seasons will be crucial—not just for the Canucks’ playoff hopes, but for their ability to convince Hughes that his future belongs in Vancouver.

Next: Rangers Working with Zibanejad on Future as Trade Talk Swirls