New Jersey Devils fans have been talking about Quinn Hughes joining his brothers Jack Hughes and Luke Hughes in New Jersey when his contract ends in 2027. There's even talk about Tom Fitzgerald picking up the phone and forcing the Canucks hand on their captain after what was a tumultuous year north of the border.
We're sure Canucks decision makers have heard the chatter, and Canucks fans want to believe that there are more important things in life to Quinn than playing with his brothers. If the most important thing for the Hughes brothers is to play on the same team, the most logical place to do that is in New Jersey.
Jack Hughes is signed through 2030 with an $8 million cap hit. Luke Hughes's contract ends this offseason, but he's a restricted free agent and he's too young to even get an offer sheet, so the Canucks or any other team has no real chance to make a deal happen without the Devils' permission. The Hughes brothers, at least the younger ones, will be in the Garden State for the foreseeable future.
At least, that's what conventional wisdom says. But what if we have a team that's not always conventional? The Canucks are often gaining headlines for how they do business. Could they shock the world and connect the Hughes brothers in Vancouver? That's a solution that team president Jim Rutherford believes is possible, as he stated in his post-season press conference.
"(Quinn) said before he wants to play with his brothers, and that would be partly out of our control. In our control if we brought his brothers here. There's many moving parts, agree 100%. This franchise could not afford to lose a guy like Quinn Hughes, and we will do everything we can to keep him here."Jim Rutherford, Canucks president
The Vancouver Canucks seem desperate to keep Quinn Hughes, even if that means targeting Jack and Luke Hughes
That's a loaded quote if we've ever seen one before. We do implore fans to watch the context and the tone in the quote. It is not a tone of confidence or defiance. It comes off as desperate, and the Canucks may make the desperate move to keep the Hughes brothers together.
Unfortunately, they don't have the right pieces to be desperate. This just comes off as a guy who doesn't have an answer to a question that's out of his control. If Quinn Hughes wants to play with his brothers, it's set up for that to happen. He can come to New Jersey with no strings attached in the 2027 offseason. And there's nothing Vancouver can do about it.