If anything has been made clear in all the NHL trade rumors flying around in recent weeks, it's that many teams - not just the New Jersey Devils - are going to be in on the Quinn Hughes sweepstakes.
Some of those teams, especially out in the Western Conference, are arguably better-equipped to make a push for the Stanley Cup than the Devils are at this very moment.
Now, that really doesn't change the outlook for the Devils when Hughes hits free agency in 2027, but it is well within the realm of possibility that another team outbids them for the eldest brother in hopes of winning a championship.
A team like the Dallas Stars, who already have two of the game's best on defense in Miro Heiskanen and Thomas Harley, can take things to a new level by adding Hughes, for example, and they have the minerals to make it happen.
If the Vancouver Canucks want young players and/or prospects, the Stars can pony up options like Mavrik Bourque, Lian Bichsel, Harley himself if they're aggressive, Emil Hemming, and Nils Lundkvist.
As for an established roster player, Jason Robertson stands out as an elite forward who's making just $7.75 million against the cap this season but will need a hefty new contract in the summer.
That would be akin to the Devils offering up a Jesper Bratt or Timo Meier, and they are just not in a position to do that with the state of their depth.
Prospect-wise, Anton Silayev would have most of the Stars' options beat, as would Simon Nemec. But, the Devils are in a more unique position given they have no real reason to get desperate and unnecessarily mortgage key pieces of their future for a good player they will more than likely get in free agency anyway.
The Stars, who have perpetually been on the cusp of greatness, have not been able to get over the hump, and options on defense like Ilya Lyubushkin, Alex Petrovic, and Kyle Capobianco aren't going to cut it.
Indeed, Hughes does not solve the problem that is their sore lack of quality right-shot defenders, but that doesn't matter when you can get a player as talented as him.
No, the Devils aren't desperate for success just yet, but other teams, like Dallas (and even Edmonton) are, and that can ultimately work against them if the Canucks eventually receive an offer they deem suitable enough to part with their franchise player and captain.