NHL Trades and Rumors
Rutherford Hints at Trading Quinn Hughes Before Contract Ends
The Vancouver Canucks hinted that Quinn Hughes could be traded before his contract expires if he doesn’t commit to re-signing.
In a recent interview, Vancouver Canucks President of Hockey Operations, Jim Rutherford said that if superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes isn’t extended before the 2027 trade deadline, the Canucks “would have to do something.”
Rutherford wasn’t clear about what the something was, but the hint would be a trade so the organization doesn’t lose Hughes for no return in free agency. Rutherford noted, “We control him for a year and two-thirds because if we get to that trade deadline two years from now and it looks like he doesn’t want to stay, then we would have to do something.”
Rutherford also said that the Canucks aren’t a prime destination for free agents, hinting that Vancouver might not be able to make a splash on July 1.
And, just last week, he noted about Hughes, “He has said before he wants to play with his brothers. That would be partly out of our control. In our control if we brought his brothers here.”
Why Does Rutherford Keep Making Odd Statements?
It’s not clear why Rutherford is publicly making these kinds of statements. Some are wondering if this is tactic to get Hughes to say out loud that he’s committed to the Canucks for life. It’s as if the organization is putting pressure on Hughes to set a trend that players aren’t going to leave. Unfortunately, the Canucks haven’t given Hughes much of a reason to commit.
The Canucks fell apart this season. They trade J.T. Miller, are losing Brock Boeser in free agency and just lost their head coach.
Is there a chance Rutherford is setting the stage for a rebuild? If he’s dropping hints that the team might have to start over, he could be putting the onus on their captain, suggesting that if Hughes goes, the Canucks will start fresh.
Mark Spector of Sportsnet noted, “It’s like Rutherford is a double agent, with a mission to inject as much unnecessary drama into the market as possible. Does he not realize what this does to his team’s ability to attract/retain players?”
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