The New Jersey Devils have a superstar-laden roster, but there is one player specifically Jack Hughes is dying to play with.
The Devils star center opened up about his desire to play with his brother and Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Quinn Hughes while participating at the NHL player-media tour in Las Vegas on Tuesday.
NHL insider and The Athletic writer Pierre LeBrun asked Hughes about the prospect of all three, Jack, Quinn and fellow Devils standout defenseman Luke Hughes playing together.
What Did Jack Hughes Say About Playing With Quinn Hughes?
Jack and Luke have played together in New Jersey since the Devils drafted Luke fourth overall in 2021. Devils fans have dreamed of general manager Tom Fitzgerald acquiring Quinn from the Vancouver Canucks since rumors of all the Hughes wanting to play together have been reported.
But fans in Vancouver are also dreaming of the Hugheses all together in the Pacific Northwest — since like Jack, Quinn is locked in long term. But Jack confirmed all the rumors publicly for the first time Tuesday, though he did not get into the logistics of how it would work.
âHonestly, Iâm not afraid to say it. Yeah, I would love for Quinn to â eventually Iâd love to play with him,” Jack Hughes said, according to LeBrun. “Whether thatâs in New Jersey or at what time that takes, at some point, I want to play with Quinn.
“But yeah, thatâs the question going around. They talk all day about it up in Vancouver, you know?”
How Would A Quinn Hughes-To-New Jersey Trade Work?
Forgive me, Canucks fans, but a Quinn-to-New Jersey deal seems more likely than the Devils dealing both Hughes — and the Canucks trying to put together a workable package to lure them both to Vancouver.
Quinn Hughes has two more years on his contract and will certainly be due a raise once his deal expires. He is, after all, the 2024 Norris winner who has been a finalist for the award in consecutive seasons, and at 25 years of age, is just about to enter his prime — even though he has 409 points in 433 NHL games, a dumbfounding number for a defenseman.
Players of that caliber rarely get traded.
The Devils have a ton of cap space relatively speaking — about $6 million — to fit in Quinn’s $7.875 million cap hit but would obviously need to part with at least one roster player, and potentially two.
Any Quinn Hughes package would have to start with both soon-to-be 24-year-old center Dawson Mercer and 21-year-old blueliner Simon Nemec — the No. 2 overall pick of the 2022 NHL Draft — though first-round picks may also need to be included to sweeten the deal.
Mercer makes $4 million per year, and Nemec is still on his entry-level contract. Mercer has 167 points in 328 NHL games, and Nemec has played more of a shutdown role throughout his 87-game NHL career.
Yet, further complicating things for the Devils is the fact Luke Hughes and Fitzgerald are going through a contract standoff. Luke is a restricted free agent who is likely seeking a long-term contract like the eight-year, $64 million Jack got before the 2022-23 season.
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