Austin Konenski
The Minnesota Wild are looking to pull off a blockbuster trade this summer. With Vincent Trocheck going to Utah and Brady Tkachuk joining his brother in Florida, Minnesota might be pulling all of its eggs in the Dylan Larkin basket. However, could the Wild have another avenue for a blockbuster deal?
The Athletic’s Michael Russo said Minnesota believes it’s still in the mix for Larkin and questioned if New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes could be on the table.
“The summer is far from over,” Russo wrote,” And the Wild believe they are still in the mix for Larkin and who knows who else (Jack Hughes?).”
The idea of pairing the Hughes brothers in Minnesota is very intriguing; however, is it realistic?
Why Jack Hughes to the Minnesota Wild doesn’t appear realistic this offseason
The Devils hired Sunny Mehta as the organization’s new general manager this offseason, and he has been busy. New Jersey has made several moves to improve its team, such as trading Jacob Markstrom to the Florida Panthers for Evan Rodrigues. In fact, Mehta is Hughes-approved, which makes a trade even more unrealistic.
Minnesota is struggling to please Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman for Larkin, so trading for Hughes seems to be out of the picture. After all, the organization depleted its asset chest when acquiring defenseman Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks in December 2025.
The Wild have been viewed as one of the favorites for Larkin, but Yzerman doesn’t seem to be interested in what they have to offer. A realistic trade package could be Charlie Stramel, Danila Yurov, and multiple first-round picks. Instead, Yzerman could be looking at Matt Boldy for Larkin.
There are no indications that Jack Hughes wants to leave New Jersey, and Mehta has done well since becoming the general manager. While the Wild will continue their push for an elite player to join Quinn Hughes in Minnesota, they wouldn’t have the assets needed to acquire Jack Hughes.
Minnesota has to pull off a big trade this summer, but Jack Hughes doesn’t make as much sense as Larkin.
Read More: Dylan Larkin to the Minnesota Wild? Ranking His 5 Most Likely Trade Destinations
