Quinn Hughes trade chatter: Three surprise contenders beyond Devils

Saturday night marked the first public report that the New Jersey Devils and Vancouver Canucks have begun discussing the parameters of a trade involving superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes.

The news doesn’t come as a shock. The Hughes brothers — Quinn, Jack and Luke — have frequently spoken about how much they’d like to play together in the NHL, and New Jersey remains the most logical place for that to happen. Jack is a center while Luke is a defenseman.

While the Devils are the clear frontrunner to land the 2023–24 Norris Trophy winner, that won’t — and shouldn’t — prevent other teams from trying to disrupt the narrative.

With that in mind, here are three teams outside New Jersey to monitor as potential contenders for Hughes before the trade deadline on March 6. (All records and statistics are through Sunday's play.)

Detroit Red Wings (15-11-3)

The destination that’s been talked about most aside from New Jersey is Detroit, and for good reason. Hughes has plenty of ties to the city and state, having played college hockey at the University of Michigan and spending time with his family during the summers in the surrounding area. 

Stuck in a nine-season playoff drought, the Red Wings must make a splash to get over the hump, and a top-two defenseman in the world would certainly fit the mold. Pair Hughes with do-it-all right-shot defenseman Moritz Seider (22 points, 58 blocks, 53 hits in 22 games), and you could have the best pairing in hockey. 

General manager Steve Yzerman has the young players, prospects and draft picks to pull off such a blockbuster.

Philadelphia Flyers (15-9-3) 

Another team that’s understandably drawn a connection to Hughes is the Flyers. His former Canucks head coach, Rick Tocchet, is at the helm in Philadelphia, and both have spoken highly of one another, so a reunion is possible.

The Flyers have retooled to get younger in recent years, though it feels like they’re on the upswing, and Hughes would only accelerate the process. Matvei Michkov (20 years old) and Trevor Zegras (24) are the building blocks up front; what the Flyers need is that workhorse on the blue line.

Like Yzerman, general manager Danny Brière has the assets to appease Vancouver, although the Flyers might need to bend on their stance that young right winger Tyson Foerster and forward prospect Porter Martone are off-limits.

Chicago Blackhawks (12-11-6)

Chicago hasn’t been brought up much in the Hughes sweepstakes, but it is a sneaky contender to enter the mix and a real threat in any bidding war.

A breakout third season from superstar center Connor Bedard (40 points in 29 games) has everything looking up, so the Blackhawks should be aggressive. There’s already good young talent in place, but the addition of Hughes would be game-changing, creating a duo reminiscent of center Nathan MacKinnon and defenseman Cale Makar in Colorado.

General manager Kyle Davidson stripped it down to the studs upon his arrival in 2022, so it’s time to build it back up, and there might not be another team in the league that has the quantity and quality of assets to match up with the Hawks.