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Red Wings Linked to Canucks' Quinn Hughes in Attempt to Fix 2018 Draft Mistake

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Antonio Losada | Last updated Sep 21, 2025 12:45 PM ET

The Detroit Red Wings are among the teams monitoring Quinn Hughes’ future with the Vancouver Canucks, according to Ben Kuzma of The Province.

The Canucks captain, who has two years remaining on his six-year, $47.1 million contract, will be eligible to sign an extension on July 1, 2026, but his comments have left the door open to a possible exit.

Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford, meanwhile, admitted the franchise is caught in a delicate spot as Hughes’ long-term decision looms.

“Obviously, Quinn’s future is so important to this franchise and this city,” Rutherford said before the start of training camp. “At the end of the day, he doesn’t have to make a decision yet. Sometimes in life, you think one thing one month, and another thing another month.”

Jim Rutherford on Quinn Hughes' future: 'Everybody will talk about it until we get dizzy'.

“If you’re really an elite defenceman, you have to be competing and at least be in the playoffs. I don’t think this is the peak for me.”
— Hughes #Canucks
https://t.co/P07ON52jnm
— Ben Kuzma (@benkuzma) September 17, 2025

Hughes himself stopped short of committing to an extension.

“I’ve really enjoyed Vancouver. I’m very thankful,” Hughes told Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman before camp. Pressed further, he added only, “I will answer that with my actions next summer.”

Kuzma suggested the Red Wings could emerge as a suitor if Vancouver is forced into a trade.

"The Detroit Red Wings can gaze into their crystal ball of acquiring a generational difference-maker in the Vancouver Canucks captain," Kuzma wrote. "Teams are acutely aware of his options, especially if the Canucks fail to meet expectations of returning to the playoffs.

"It’s why the Red Wings, along with several other suitors, are keeping an eye on Vancouver."

Detroit infamously passed on Hughes in the 2018 draft, selecting Filip Zadina with the No. 6 overall pick before Vancouver took Hughes with the seventh selection.

"For the Red Wings, landing the Canucks dynamo would right a great wrong with a gigantic miss in the 2018 NHL draft," Kuzma wrote."

Zadina has registered 91 points in 262 games for Detroit and is now playing hockey in Switzerland. Hughes, meanwhile, has racked up 409 points in 433 regular-season games with the Canucks.

Ultimately, Kuzma believes a bad start to the season in Vancouver could foster a roster-wide shift that might include a trade involving Hughes. That's where Detroit could enter the picture.

"You can understand leaguewide interest if the Canucks stumble out of the gate, fail to consistently win, and are in playoff positioning peril at the March 6 trade deadline," Kuzma wrote. "They would be in sell mode, and if their struggles would convince Hughes not to resign here, then the stampede to acquire him would be immense."

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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