Since the spring, a lot of the attention in the NHL sphere was on what Quinn Hughes’ future will look like, and whether that includes the New Jersey Devils or not. These days, the focus has shifted to his youngest brother, Luke Hughes, amid a contract standoff. However, our eyes are back on Quinn after he spoke recently regarding his future, and how he left it open for interpretation. Don’t get too excited now, Devils fans. There’s some emphasis on the uncertainty.
READ MORE: What’s Really Going on in the Devils, Luke Hughes Contract Standoff
In a recent interview with Sportsnet, the Vancouver Canucks captain was asked about the rumors involving his name, the challenges ahead in Vancouver, and his uncertain future.
Amid staying face, claiming he can handle the noise—that’s why he’s the captain—and explaining his focus is on the season ahead, his comments about his next contract left more questions than answers.
“Who knows what we can do and who knows how I’ll be feeling this time next year? It’s still a year away,” the Canucks captain said to Sportsnet.
The rest of that interview can be read here.
Thus, the chatter and speculation about a potential trade continues.
Initially, it was all fueled by the Canucks President of Hockey Operations, Jim Rutherford. Back in April, he explained Quinn “wants to play with his brothers,” seemingly bracing the Vancouver fans for impact regarding a potential departure.
And with two of the three Hughes brothers already playing in New Jersey, it was easy for everyone to walk Quinn to the Devils amid speculation.
After the comments made by Rutherford, the question everyone asked is why not move him sooner than later, if the Canucks have an inkling of what’s to come.
Well, the answer to that is quite simple.
If Rutherford and GM Patrik Allvin are going to move Quinn Hughes, that would have to mean they’re trading everyone of significance.
However, that’s unlikely to happen at this point.
Yes, last season, the Canucks removed the distraction from their locker room, sending J.T. Miller to the New York Rangers in a trade. That ultimately relieved them of the tension that was reportedly between him and star forward Elias Pettersson. But that wasn’t a move to start recouping assets for a rebuild/retool.
Yet, the Canucks aren’t coming into 2025-26 as a team who appears on the cusp of blowing things up. This past summer, they re-signed Brock Boeser and Thatcher Demko to five and four-year contracts, respectively. Conor Garland’s new four-year extension doesn’t even kick in until July 1st, 2026. And they have several defensemen who are inked through 2030.
Plus, Pettersson is now in the second-year of his eight-year contract. His full no-move clause kicked this past July. He’s not going anywhere if he doesn’t want to.
Look, it’s not out of the realm of possibility the two sides come to terms on a hockey trade if something becomes imminent. Say, a swap involving Dougie Hamilton to offset dollars. But, that’s just a hypothetical. At this point, there appears no rush, nor indication, that’s even on the table.
Uniting the Hughes Triforce in New Jersey does seem inevitable at some point. However, not until at least next season when Hughes is a pending free-agent, as opposed to having two years left on his contract in 2025-26. Moving their captain would be an indicator Vancouver is prepared to flip the organization on its head. However, their recent track record doesn’t suggest they’re prepared for that just yet.
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