Earlier final month, the Vancouver Canucks moved Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild in a blockbuster commerce. Nevertheless, the previous Norris Trophy winner had reportedly expressed a powerful choice to affix the Detroit Purple Wings earlier than the cope with Minnesota was finalized.
On the newest episode of 32 Ideas, Friedman shared that Hughes “was very ” in Detroit, however Purple Wings common supervisor Steve Yzerman refused to pursue a commerce and not using a contractual extension in place.
“We talked about with Quinn Hughes, like Hughes needed to go to the Purple Wings. He was one of many groups that he was very curious about. However Steve Yzerman wasn’t doing that with out an extension,” Friedman mentioned.
Hughes initially signed his present six-year contract with Vancouver in 2021 carrying a $7.85 million common annual worth for a complete worth of $47.1 million. The contract runs by way of the 2026‑27 season and Hughes might be eligible to barter a long-term extension starting July 1, 2026.
After that season, he’s set to develop into an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2027 giving Minnesota a window to safe his companies past the present contract.
In trade for Hughes within the commerce, Vancouver obtained a package deal that included middle Marco Rossi, winger Liam Ohgren, defenseman prospect Zeev Buium and a 2026 first-round draft decide.
New Jersey Devils GM addressed lacking out on Quinn Hughes
The New Jersey Devils have been additionally among the many groups reportedly curious about buying Quinn Hughes earlier than the defenseman’s commerce to the Minnesota Wild final month. The transfer had left the Devils followers questioning why they have been unable to land the elite blueliner.
Throughout a press availability this week, Devils common supervisor Tom Fitzgerald addressed the scenario. Requested whether or not he regretted lacking out on Hughes or would possibly regulate the crew’s method to prospects, Fitzgerald talked about that the main focus stays on the gamers at present within the lineup.
“No. I imply, once you take a look at a few of these gamers and the ages they’re at, these children are on our crew. These aren’t prospects. They’re beginning. Perhaps that is a pair years earlier, however once more, I can not speculate on what kind of gamers went to Minnesota versus what gamers we have now,” he mentioned.
Fitzgerald acknowledged the pressures that include high-profile commerce rumors and the eye of social media.
“With rumors and names on the market… there’s no secrets and techniques… That is enterprise. It is robust sufficient if you happen to let it have an effect on you, so simply transfer on. Stay on daily basis the identical means, and go from there,” he added.
New Jersey’s proposed package deal reportedly included younger gamers Simon Nemec, Dawson Mercer, Anton Silayev and a first-round draft decide. Whereas vital, the supply couldn’t match Minnesota’s and the Devils additionally confronted wage cap constraints that made absorbing Hughes’ $7.85 million cap hit difficult.
Edited by Anjum Rajonno
