The New Jersey Devils were the purported frontrunner for Quinn Hughes. The chatter leading up to the massive trade last week posited New Jersey as the team Hughes was destined for.
It made sense. The former Vancouver Canucks captain wanted to play with his brothers (both of whom play for the Devils). The Devils also had the pieces to make a trade for Hughes’ work. However, New Jersey did not land the coveted former Norris Trophy winner.
Speculation ramped up as to why the Devils missed out. But now, the crucial reason has become clear. In a December 16 piece, ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski underscored why New Jersey did not make the trade work, despite having the pieces Vancouver wanted.
Wyshynski wrote:
“The belief is that Vancouver would have wanted a package of 21-year-old defenseman Simon Nemec, drafted second overall in 2022; 24-year-old center Dawson Mercer; KHL defenseman Anton Silayev, drafted 10th overall in 2024; and a first-round pick. That package was crafted with the understanding that Hughes was likely to sign an extension with the Devils.”
The package didn’t look quite as good as the one Minnesota ponied up. But that wasn’t the problem. This was:
“The problem with the Devils’ trade bid wasn’t necessarily the bid itself — although, ultimately, Minnesota’s offer was better — but in their inability to clear the necessary salary cap space to take on Hughes’ $7.85 million AAV.”
So, it wasn’t the package. It was good enough to close the deal. It was the Devils’ inability to open up cap space to get over the hump. That ended up undermining New Jersey’s bid for a generational talent.
Devils’ Penchant for No-Trade Protection Doomed Them
Ultimately, it was the Devils’ penchant for no-trade protection in contracts that doomed them. In total, New Jersey has 14 players with some no-trade protection. As Wyshynski quoted an anonymous NHL exec:
“They handed out some regrettable trade protection in the past, and it handcuffed them.”
For instance, calls have gone up for the team to jettison Ondrej Palat. However, he’s got a no-trade clause. The same goes for Dougie Hamilton. His $9 million cap hit certainly got in the way of things.
While neither Hamilton nor Palat would have gone to Vancouver, the Devils could have made separate trades to clear the requisite space. That wasn’t possible, hence Hughes is now in Minnesota.
Hughes May Still Come to New Jersey After All
There is a way for Quinn Hughes to end up with the Devils after all. Hughes is set to become a UFA in 2027. Perhaps New Jersey might have a shot to sign him by then. The cap ceiling will be going up, and the team may have more time to clear space.
However, that’s all dependent on Hughes not re-signing in Minnesota. From the initial pressers, both Hughes and the Wild have said all the right things about staying together. The next few months may be relatively quiet. But bear in mind that Hughes will be eligible to sign an extension on July 1, 2026.
If he doesn’t, the speculation will shoot through the roof about Hughes’ plans throughout the entire 2026-27 season.
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