As the 2025-26 season moves along and the Vancouver Canucks continue to struggle, some fans around the league have begun to wonder what will happen with Canucks’ defender Quinn Hughes. As one of the NHL’s best defensemen, teams have begun to believe that there is a real possibility he gets traded within the next couple of seasons, with insiders and analysts curious about which teams could be able to pull off a blockbuster deal to bring him in.
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Hughes has been linked to the Philadelphia Flyers, New York Rangers, and Detroit Red Wings as analysts and pundits alike have tried to figure out what team has the assets to bring him in, and make the most sense as a potential fit in terms of where he may go to try and push for a championship.
Another team that has been tossed around as a potential fit, which has been viewed by many as the most logical fit considering both of his brothers play there, is the New Jersey Devils.
There was fuel added to the fire recently, as Elliotte Friedman reported that the Devils and Canucks had conversations about Hughes’ situation, and while he mentioned that nothing was even close to imminent, it is worth mentioning that the two sides have begun talking about what a potential league-altering deal could look like.
There are quite a few things to keep in mind with any Hughes trade, but the most important thing is his cap hit, which sits at $7,850,000. Hughes doesn’t have any trade protection, but the Devils, or any team for that matter, would have to make sure they have the salary to bring him in and would need to be willing to risk him walking to free agency after the 2026-27 season when his current contract expires.
The last thing is actually creating a trade package strong enough to convince the Canucks to move Hughes and, essentially, embrace a rebuild.
In this article, let’s take a look at a potential blockbuster deal between the Devils and Canucks involving Hughes.
Devils Land Hughes, Canucks Get Monster Return
The Devils would have to move cap space out to make this move. The obvious choice first is moving out Dawson Mercer, who has a $4 million cap hit, and would be an enticing addition for the Canucks. There are rumblings that the Canucks would want Nico Hischier in return, but that seems unlikely, so I won’t toss him in here as a legitimate option.
The Canucks would also likely be looking for at least one defender in return to try and keep their depth solid. One name that could make sense is Jonas Siegenthaler, who has a $3.4 million cap hit, and could make the money work if he’s packaged with Mercer.
On top of that, they are likely looking for draft capital and a top prospect or a young NHL player. Realistically, the Canucks would be trading Hughes to the Devils in exchange for Simon Nemec, Mercer, Siegenthaler, their 2026 first-round pick, their 2027 first-round pick, and their 2027 second-round pick.
This trade, coming without an extension for Hughes, is extremely risky for the Devils, but playing alongside his brothers could convince him to stay there long-term, and that could be a risk they are willing to take for a superstar defender.
There is a world where the Devils wait until next season to make a move like this, so that they can make the trade after Hughes has signed an extension, and there is less risk associated with the move, but that likely increases the trade package to another prospect, and an added third-round pick.
This would be a league-altering move and would immediately put the Devils into championship contention. Obviously, things can change at any point, but it doesn’t sound like a Hughes trade is close to happening. However, the fact that it has been put out there by Friedman means there is a slim chance it could happen down the road. Time will tell.
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