The Quinn Hughes sweepstakes is two years away. Usually, that would be discussed on most days, but the 2026 free agency class is too stacked to focus on two years away. Connor McDavid, Kirill Kaprizov, Jack Eichel, Kyle Connor, Artemi Panarin, Sergei Bobrovsky, Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, Anze Kopitar, Martin Necas, and Adrian Kempe are just some of the unrestricted free agents. That’s on top of Connor Bedard, Lane Hutson, Dustin Wolf, Jason Robertson, and Logan Cooley, who are some of the restricted free agents.
Another reason why the Quinn Hughes sweepstakes isn’t getting coverage is that many believe it’s going to come down to two teams.
See, the Vancouver Canucks captain is considered a loyal soldier, and many believe he takes being captain very seriously. The former Norris Trophy winner hasn’t said much about his pending free agency. His front office has addressed it, but the eldest Hughes brother hasn’t said anything to specifically make people feel like he’s bound for elsewhere.
The other option is obviously the Devils. His two brothers, Jack and Luke Hughes, are both already on the Devils roster and are likely to be signed long-term once Luke Hughes gets his deal done.
Many fans think Quinn Hughes might take a discount to join his brothers and give the Devils the best chance to compete for a Stanley Cup, but that is literally just making up information. There is no reason to believe Quinn Hughes wouldn’t try to make as much money as possible, even if he joins his brothers.
And that price could put Devils fans’ jaws on the floor.
In a recent article for The Athletic, James Mirtle addressed the assumption that Quinn Hughes is Jersey-bound. He agreed that there’s something to the rumors, and he said the Devils are fortunate to be in the conversation (we agree).
The most eye-opening mention in his article was that he thinks the Devils might have to shell out top-of-the-market cash to make this deal happen. The number would be $15 million. Not only is that one of the highest-paid contracts in the NHL, it would be $3.5 million more than the most expensive defenseman contract in the NHL today.
Would the Devils say no to such a contract? Of course not. Adding Quinn Hughes legitimizes them as Stanley Cup contenders. They don’t have to worry about chemistry since the Hughes brothers have been playing together for their entire lives. If he signs for six years, which we assume he would based on the price (or seven years if the Devils trade for him first), then that puts his contract well past Jack Hughes’s current deal, and it could secure a future deal for the team’s current star (although, that might come at an even more insane price).
The Devils could make the contract work, especially if they find a new home for Dougie Hamilton at that point, sign Nico Hischier for a deal that isn’t beyond scope, and some of the promising young defensemen take over for the veterans.