Detroit Red Wings
Insider Believes Atlantic Division Team Should Swing for Quinn Hughes
Quinn Hughes to New Jersey feels like a foregone conclusion, but could this Atlantic Division team spoil those plans?
Until Quinn Hughes inevitably finds his way onto the New Jersey Devils to play with his brothers, fans, analysts, and insiders across the NHL will speculate about other potential landing spots. Another recent destination has been gaining some traction of late, thanks mostly to Hughes’ link to the city.
Assuming Hughes won’t be re-signing in Vancouver, which seems more likely with every Canucks loss, a trade to the Devils has been a recurring theme so far in 2025-26.
Honestly, unless another team steps up to the plate and butts in front of them, the Devils will always be the leaders in the clubhouse to land Hughes. However, that shouldn’t stop teams from trying, which has insider Jeff Marek and former NHL executive Pierre McGuire imploring Steve Yzerman and the Detroit Red Wings to swing big for the Norris Trophy winner.
“If you’re Yzerman, do you not take a real swing at this if/when he becomes available. Family lives there, ties to the state obviously, ties to the University of Michigan. Do you not take a real swing at Quinn Hughes?”
“The answer is yeah, you do… Detroit’s got to be in the mix,”
The 26-year-old Hughes is in year five of the six-year, $47.1 million extension he signed with the Canucks back in 2021, eligible to become a UFA at the end of the 2026-27 season.
Quinn Hughes Would be a Great Fit in Detroit
The Devils are the obvious fit for many reasons, but if there were a team that’s a close second, it might be the Red Wings.
As Marek referred to, Hughes has ties to the University of Michigan, having played college hockey there, while he and his family spend a lot of time just outside of Detroit in the summer.
In terms of on the ice, the Red Wings are a team with a lot of nice pieces already in place, but what they need is that true superstar, and Hughes, a left-shot defenseman, in an area they aren’t the strongest in, would be the perfect final piece to the puzzle.
Pair him with a physical workhorse on the right side in Moritz Seider to potentially create the best defense pairing in all of hockey; that has to be enticing for everyone involved.
It may not be Hughes’ first choice, but if he had to have a backup option, Detroit feels like the one.
Next: Flyers, Rick Tocchet Have Their Eyes on Canucks’ Centers
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