The chatter about Quinn Hughes potentially heading to the Detroit Red Wings isn’t going away any time soon. The club has been rumored to be among the top suitors for the Vancouver Canucks’ captain.
As for the price tag, well, that’s another story. The consensus is that the Canucks want the entire farm for Hughes, and with good reason. Hughes is a generational talent that just doesn’t land on the market. Very few players of Hughes’ ilk become available via free agency, much less the trade market.
That being said, the prevailing talk is that the Canucks want a top center in return. In theory, the Canucks have one in Elias Pettersson. Unfortunately, it seems increasingly evident that Pettersson’s 100-point season was an outlier.
But beyond getting a top center and a bunch of first-round draft picks, could a team like the Red Wings land Hughes in a hockey trade?
Before delving into that question, let’s define a hockey trade. The traditional definition of a hockey trade involves both sides sending pieces of equal value. Typically, these trades involve a 1-for-1 exchange, or commensurate pieces like 2-for-2 and so on.
Could a Moritz-Seider-for-Quinn-Hughes Be Even Remotely Possible?
The knee-jerk reaction, particularly from Vancouver fans would be a no way. Why would the Canucks relinquish the best player the club has had in a long time for just one piece. But then again, Seider is not just any piece. The German blueliner was the sixth-overall pick in 2019. And he’s been a consistent producer ever since he entered the league.
Seider is a right-shot, top-pairing defenseman who steadily produces 40 to 50 points per year. He runs the Red Wings’ top power play unit, plays heavy minutes, and is defensively responsible. If anything, Seider is an upgrade over Hughes.
The 24-year-old is much better defensively than Hughes, despite the lower offensive production. But then again, Seider is just entering his prime. Meanwhile, Hughes is 26. Yes, he’s a proven commodity and the real deal. But he’s also been somewhat injury prone.
Then, there’s the elephant in the room that needs to be addressed.
Red Wings Offer More Value in Seider than Canucks in Hughes
As implausible as it may seem, “Mo” Seider offers a much higher upside than Hughes. Let’s assume Seider is a 40 to 50-point producer for the length of his career. Let’s also assume he’s durable (He’s played all 82 games in every season since his debut in 2021-2022). Plus, let’s presume he can maintain a solid defensive presence while largely playing against top opponents. Isn’t that what teams want from their top defenseman?
The prevailing opinion is that Seider is on track for a Norris Trophy at some point down the line. If that’s the case, the Canucks wouldn’t do too bad with Seider. Oh, and he’s under contract until 2031 with a cap hit of $8.55 million. That’s cost certainty the Canucks don’t have right now.
Yes, the Red Wings would get an all-world defenseman that could push them toward a long playoff run. That’s a possibility Hughes doesn’t have in Vancouver at the moment. The Red Wings could potentially miss out on Seider’s best years down the line. But then again, adding Quinn Hughes could be the move that solidifies Detroit’s return to the top of the NHL.
That’s why Hughes going to the Red Wings makes the most sense. The Wings are much closer to the Cup than the Canucks. Plus, Detroit is a younger team with an incredible upside. If everything goes right, the Wings could be perennial playoff contenders for at least a decade. And Hughes, along with Dylan Larkin, could be the guy to drive the Red Wings to the promised land.
For Vancouver, getting Seider means they could build their team around a stud defenseman. Pairing him with a solid defensive blueliner like Filip Hronek maintains a legit top pair. As much as Seider delivers more long-term value than Hughes, the two clubs could come out ahead with this move.
Considering how much both teams are trending in different directions, there’s plenty of cause for optimism with this sort of trade. The odds of it happening are slim to none. But then again, the NHL has been crying out for a deal like for quite some time. The deal could deliver fantastic results for both sides, even if the Red Wings would be better off keeping Seider.
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