The Vancouver Canucks have been the talk of the NHL rumour mill, thanks to a memo from the front office stating they are listening to offers on almost all of their veterans, regardless of the term left on their contracts. While Elliotte Friedman stated that Quinn Hughes is not part of that group, it hasn’t stopped writers and podcasters from speculating on potential trades for the superstar defenceman.
Related: Friedman Weighs In on Quinn Hughes and the Canucks’ Hard Choice
Some of the names being thrown around lately might be unrealistic, but honestly should be what the Canucks are aiming for. With that, let’s dive into this crazy world of speculation, which will likely only get worse as the season goes on.
Detroit Red Wings: Lucas Raymond
The Detroit Red Wings had the chance to draft Hughes in 2018, but instead opted for Filip Zadina, who’s no longer in the NHL. Now, they have an opportunity to rectify that decision by acquiring him in a trade. However, it will cost them more than just the use of a first-round pick. The most recent speculation has the package starting with Lucas Raymond, who has emerged as a star over the last couple of seasons. He had a career-high 31 goals in 2023-24 and then followed that up with another career-high 80 points last season.
Raymond has stepped it up a notch this season with eight goals and 27 points in 24 games, and is on pace for 90 points. He is one of the heads of the three-headed monster that is the Red Wings’ offence so far, alongside captain Dylan Larkin (14 goals, 29 points) and Alex DeBrincat (12 goals, 26 points), so it’s a bit hard to believe that general manager (GM) Steve Yzerman would be willing to part with him. Having said that, he is the kind of star player that would be required to get a deal done, considering Canucks president Jim Rutherford has said in the past that he isn’t in the market for strictly first-round picks and prospects.
Raymond would instantly upgrade the Canucks’ top-six, and potentially form a lethal one-two punch on the top line with fellow Swede Elias Pettersson. He is fast, shifty, and, in addition to his goalscoring, an elite playmaker that could boost Pettersson back into his 100-point form of 2022-23. The only problem with this trade is that they don’t get a defender like Hughes in return. If I were Rutherford and GM Patrik Allvin, I would ask for Axel Sandin-Pellikka in the package, who is very much like Hughes in his mobility, smarts and offensive potential. But that might be way too rich for Yzerman’s blood – if Raymond alone isn’t already.
In the end, acquiring Raymond is probably the most unrealistic of these trades, but at the same time, believable that Allvin would ask for someone like him in return.
New Jersey Devils: Jesper Bratt & Simon Nemec
Ah yes, the New Jersey Devils, the favourite and, according to a lot of people, the only destination if Hughes doesn’t stay with the Canucks. This has been a thing ever since his brothers Jack and Luke were drafted by the Devils, and it only got worse when Rutherford mentioned it in his media scrum at the end of last season. He hasn’t backed off on it, either, which has only fueled the speculation.
While the Devils could always just wait until free agency and sign Quinn to a lucrative deal, they might want to get him on the team sooner and dump some salary in the process. The Canucks could ask for a lot from the Devils, and the latest speculation has them acquiring Jesper Bratt and Simon Nemec, along with draft picks. On a recent episode of Kyper and Bourne, David Amber asked the duo if they would accept a trade like that, and they agreed, even saying that the Devils would need to add more to the table to get it done.
I have been trying to wrap my head around a trade that I would be okay with, and this is pretty close. Bratt has become a star in the NHL with four straight 70-plus point seasons, hitting a career-high 88 points in 2024-25. He’s on pace for another 70-plus points and, like Raymond, would form an elite duo on the top line with Pettersson.
Then, you have Nemec, who has broken out this season with six goals and 15 points in 25 games, and is on pace for 20 goals and 50 points. He would be as close to a Hughes replacement as you could get. A first-round pick, plus more, would be icing on the cake; however, that seems like a lot for the Devils to give up, even for a superstar like Hughes, but it’s exactly the deal I would be looking for if I were the Canucks.
Toronto Maple Leafs: Matthew Knies
The final trade, of course, involves the Toronto Maple Leafs, a team that always seems to worm its way into any conversation involving a star player. They don’t usually get the player, but given the organization’s popularity across the country, it makes sense. They haven’t really been on the radar in speculative trade talks for Hughes, but that changed with an episode of TSN’s Overdrive when host Bryan Hayes said, “If the Maple Leafs are rocking and it’s going to cost you Matthew Knies, I’m doing it.”
Related: “I’m Doing It”: Scribe on Maple Leafs Trading Future Star in Quinn Hughes Deal
Knies has quickly become a core piece of the Maple Leafs, so it’s hard to believe that they would trade him before his prime. However, Hughes is a difference-maker that could push them over the line, and as they say, you have to give up something to get something, and Knies would be the piece to do it. With that said, though, I don’t think he alone would be (or should be) enough for the Canucks to say yes to a trade. In the end, unless they’re willing to include Auston Matthews or William Nylander in the discussions – unlikely – other teams should be able to outbid anything the Maple Leafs can bring to the table.
Any Quinn Hughes Trade Will Define the Canucks For Years to Come
Right now, it’s tough to project what a Hughes trade would look like. Will it involve a star player or a package of blue-chip prospects and picks? If the Canucks want to stay on the competitive path, it will be the former, not the latter, but if a trade does happen, the team will be drastically changed. That’s what happens when a generational talent like Hughes is dealt. They won’t win any type of deal, no matter the players involved, and the wrong trade could send the franchise down a dark path that takes years to come back from.
That’s why the Canucks must try their best to re-sign their captain long-term and convince him that winning hockey is possible with him at the helm. The good thing is, he’s reportedly committed to the team (for now) and doesn’t want out. Despite all the noise and various blockbuster trades being proposed, a move isn’t imminent. Hopefully, it stays that way, and all of this ends in a few months when he signs a lucrative deal to stay in Vancouver for the foreseeable future.
Unfortunately, until then, fans will have to endure other fanbases and analysts throwing out crazy proposals. That’s just the name of the game when a star like Hughes has an uncertain future.
