New Jersey Devils: 3 Huge Trades To Bring Quinn Hughes Here
The New Jersey Devils are likely done adding for now but I’m sure many fans have noticed that as time rolls on closer and closer to training camps that a set of big RFA’s is sitting unsigned. Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes of the Vancouver Canucks will be signed to new deals, but it is at least a little interesting that they have not found common ground.
The Canucks have $10 million in cap space right now, and that will not be enough for both players so short of them taking massively smaller deals than they deserve. The Canucks have to do something. It is also worth noting that the team is quite frankly not that good, and unless they can feast on the weakest division in hockey in a big way, they will not be a playoff team and are probably less of a threat to win the cup than the Devils.
While Hughes will sign here for now it is currently my belief that in the future all the brothers would love to play together and now that New Jersey has Luke they are a massive front runner for this. If for whatever reason however and Quinn Hughes did want to move the Devils could put together some good offers for the Canucks. Their general manager Jim Benning does make some odd decisions such as trading for the struggling former star defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson and his massive deal.
The Devils would have to spend a ton to get the three Hughes brothers together, but in the end, it might be worth it.
A first-round pick in a strong draft is nothing to look over. Teams are looking for extra picks in next year’s draft which is topped off by Shane Wright, Brad Lambert, and Ivan Miroshnichenko. Shakir Mukhamadullin was a former 1st-round pick himself and the best defensive prospect in the system that isn’t a Hughes brother depending on who you ask. The big defenseman is also playing in the KHL already and while he is a very different defender than Quinn Hughes, he has the potential to while not be as good, at least fill a top-four role in a year or two for the team. He would add size and has a very hard shot that would fit in well with the team and provide a high-end prospect that they would need right away with the devastating loss of Hughes.
Janne Kuokkanen is developing incredibly. The former second-round pick is 100% NHL ready and put up some decent points this season with Jack Hughes. He could make a smooth transition to center, or he could stay at wing with a chance to play the heavy puck retrieval role for Bo Horvat or Elias Pettersson.
Kuokkanen spent the end of last season on the Devils’ top line. Putting him and basically two 1st rounders in a trade is a lofty price. It is likely what it will take to get a young star defenseman away from their team.
This trade would be an interesting one from both sides. Vancouver has always had a thing for Swedes since the Sedin Twins were drafted together and spent their entire careers with the Canucks. They even took on big, bad contracts of two now with Loui Eriksson and Ekman-Larsson on the roster. Pettersson, their biggest star, is from the same country as is quite possibly their best young prospect Nils Hoglander. If it wasn’t clear they have a small thing for them this last draft three of their six picks were Swedish which is interesting, to say the least. Obviously, they want quality first, but nothing should be taken away from the return.
Jesper Boqvist has stumbled a bit, but only a few years ago he was projected in the 1st round and was considered a steal in the second. Sometimes things just work better on a new team and Vancouver could be just what he needs. It’s clear that Boqvist could do much better with a change of scenery.
Alexander Holtz is the big fish of this deal and was considered the best pure sniper in his draft class. With two pro seasons under his belt in Sweden, he should be ready very soon for the NHL, and pairing him with a professional and fantastic centreman like Pettersson is a situation he would thrive in. The Canucks offense would be a force to be reckoned with on the top end. All it would take is some defensive work in front of Thatcher Demko and they could be an ok playoff team.
If that Vancouver Canucks wanted nothing to do with picks and wanted to get some young pieces for the now and long the long term, which sounds a lot like a move their GM would make, the Devils might be able to tempt them. The previously-mentioned 1st-round pick in defender Mukhamadullin and another set of defenders in the 24-year-old Jonas Siegenthaler and the 22-year-old Reilly Walsh would be two interesting pieces. Other than the third Hughes brother, these are probably the two best prospects defensively for the Devils on top of a positive possession young NHL defender.
Dawson Mercer is a sneaky good player and while he may never be a true top-line player. He can, however, still put up points and plays the responsible game that coaches love. This trade could end up being a big loss for the Devils if both top prospects pan out as high-end players, but as always it is about risk-reward and Quinn Hughes is a known commodity.
The Devils still have $12 million in cap space and while they need to be smart if a move was made they could throw $7 million at the eldest Hughes brother quite easily, something his current team can’t do. His addition would finish what is needed on defense and the team could potentially have such a star-laden back end that it would be talked about like the mid-2000s.
Graves-Hamilton
Hughes-Hughes
Smith-Severson
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This is what the trade would do for the Devils for the next four or five years likely which is absolutely insane on paper. Every one of these players can move the puck and put up points at a good number and this is only as it sits now. They still have good prospects such as the often mentioned here Mukhamadullin and guys like Walsh and Bahl who could be up as soon as this season. Even if the price is heavy the Devils should and would definitely make the move even though the cost would be two 1st-round picks or players from that round plus something decent.