In an original trade pitch from this author, the New Jersey Devils would acquire superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes from the Minnesota Wild.
With Hughes seemingly unlikely to re-sign with the Wild ahead of free agency next summer, Wild GM Bill Guerin has a very difficult decision to make: Keep Hughes and make a Stanley Cup run with him and risk losing him for nothing next offseason, or deal him now and get something in return for Hughes?
It’s a tough call for Guerin to make, and there are arguments for either path.
But given how much the Wild gave up for Hughes in the first place, it would be wiser to deal him and extract value back rather than lose him for nothing.
And, if Guerin does trade Hughes, the team that makes the most sense to trade him to, by far, is the Devils, where his brothers Jack Hughes and Luke Hughes currently play.
Quinn Hughes Wild to Devils Trade Pitch
Here is my original trade pitch sending Hughes from the Wild to the Devils.
Devils Get:
- D Quinn Hughes ($7.85 million expiring contract)
Wild Get:
- D Dougie Hamilton ($9 million this year and next)
- 2027 1st-round pick (Vegas Golden Knights pick; top-10 protected, slides to 2028 if it lands in the top 10 in 2027)
- 2027 2nd-round pick (Devils own)
Why Both Teams Should Do This Trade
For the Devils, it’s obvious why they should do this trade.
Hughes is one of the best defensemen in the world, and he has been linked to playing with his two brothers in New Jersey for quite some time now.
While he may sign there next summer anyways, it would be wiser to deal for him now and have him for a Stanley Cup run next spring, while also having more time to sell him on the team and the city and giving the team a better chance to sign him.
After picking up goalie Connor Hellebuyck in a blockbuster trade with the Winnipeg Jets, it’s clear that Devils GM Sunny Mehta wants to win now, and there’s no question that having Hughes on the team’s roster helps them do so, as he is a legit No. 1 defenseman in the NHL and his addition would help the Devils become an immediate Stanley Cup contender.
As for the Wild, the reason they should do this trade is that they don’t want to risk losing Hughes for nothing as a free agent, and in this case, they get back some solid value for an expiring contract.
Obviously, Hamilton isn’t as good as Hughes, but he is a solid top-four defenseman who can play 20 minutes a game for Minnesota, and he’s coming off a season last year where he scored 12 goals and 39 points.
His $9 million deal for this year and next makes him slightly overpaid, which is why the Devils will have to cough up two draft picks in this trade to make up for the difference in contracts and the extra year on Hamilton’s contract: Vegas’s 2027 protected 1st-round pick plus their own 2nd-round pick.
In my opinion, this is a very fair trade pitch for both teams, one that allows the Devils to get Hughes on their roster and pair him up with his two brothers, while giving the Wild a quality top-four defenseman in return, plus two valuable draft picks that they can either draft young players with or use to make subsequent trades with.
So, what do you think of this trade pitch, and do you think it’s fair for both teams?
Quinn Hughes Trade Pitch Sees Devils Land Superstar From Wild