The hockey world saw an enormous bombshell dropped out of nowhere on Friday night. The Vancouver Canucks traded star defenseman Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild for 3 players and a 2026 first-round pick. Minnesota officially announced the deal on Friday, bringing to an end one of the talked-about trade storylines within the league.
Hughes is a top-two defenseman within the NHL. It is a legitimately elite player who’s packing his bags and on the move. It’s comprehensible that teams across the league were serious about the previous seventh-overall pick. Actually, six teams reportedly called the Canucks regarding Hughes, including the Latest Jersey Devils.
“Hearing the Latest Jersey Devils made what they feel was a powerful first offer to Vancouver on Quinn Hughes however it didn’t generate enough traction obviously,” NHL insider Pierre LeBrun reported on Friday night. It’s unknown what the offer included right now.
The Devils have long been seen as a possible landing spot for Hughes. Latest Jersey has Quinn’s two brothers — Luke and Jack Hughes — on its roster. Moreover, each of them are signed through the remainder of the last decade.
Nonetheless, Latest Jersey was unable to top Minnesota’s package. The Wild sent center Marco Rossi, winger Liam Ohgren, defenseman Zeev Buium, and a 2026 first-round pick to the Canucks within the Quinn Hughes trade.
The Devils must look elsewhere for an upgrade in the event that they need to make that kind of splash. There are some options on the market, but missing out on Hughes does definitely sting. Only time will tell how Latest Jersey proceeds after failing to reunite the Hughes brothers on the Devils.