Pitched Trade Package for Jack Hughes Worth a Closer Look?

There aren’t many uglier situations around the NHL right now than that of the New Jersey Devils. A strong start to the season feels like a lifetime ago, and even with Jack Hughes back in the lineup, they’ve continued to spiral.

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Going 2-5-1 in their last eight games is bad enough, but their most recent defeat—a 9-0 blowout at the hands of the New York Islanders—has made things even worse. Add in Luke Hughes’ struggles, which have generated boos from the home crowd, and frustration is mounting across New Jersey.

While there’s still plenty of season left for the Devils to turn things around, right now, any sort of playoff push is hard to envision. Not landing Quinn Hughes seems to have compounded the problem, and now talk has shifted to whether Jack Hughes might join his brother in Minnesota one day.

As a result, Big Head Hockey recently came up with a trade proposal that would send Hughes to the Wild for another big-time return haul from general manager Bill Guerin. That package would include David Jiricek, Danila Yurov, Riley Heidt, a 2027 first-round pick, and a 2028 first-round pick.

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 produced 24 points (11 goals, 13 assists) in the 25 games he’s played in 2025-26. 

Would That Package for Jack Hughes Get It Done?

It’s hard to imagine New Jersey has even thought about trading Hughes, but given how the season has unfolded—along with his history of injuries—questions naturally arise.

Does that make a trade likely? Not at this point. Still, if a move to Minnesota ever became inevitable, packages like this are exactly the type of return the Devils should be seeking.

Moving on from Hughes would signal a rebuild or a retool, putting young players and draft picks front and center—assets the Wild clearly have and have shown they’re willing to offer.

This may be putting the cart before the horse, but Hughes is already in year seven of his NHL career, and the team around him somehow seems to be trending downward. Combine that with the early success his brother Quinn has enjoyed in a new situation, and the conversation about a potential move won’t be going away unless they figure things out in New Jersey.

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