The Minnesota Wild were right to go all-in on Quinn Hughes, even if it came at the detriment of the New Jersey Devils.
For a while, it seemed like the Devils were the frontrunners to land Hughes. But Guerin ponied up and landed the superstar blueliner.
Fast forward to this season, and the Hughes trade is looking like a mistake for the Wild. Hughes is stuck in limbo and seemingly unlikely to re-sign in Minnesota.
Now, Guerin would be happy to divest from Hughes and regain what he can. And the Devils might just offer an opportunity for Guerin to save face.
A trade thesis emerges as one in which the Wild could break even, while giving the Devils a chance to grant Quinn Hughes’ wish of playing with his brothers.
Here’s how the deal would look:
Devils get:
- Quinn Hughes, D
Wild get:
- Anton Silayev, D
- Dawson Mercer, F
- Alexander Command, F
- 2027 first-round pick
Beyond the evident sticker shock, the package for Hughes highlights something: The Wild would get back the four first-round picks they gave up for Hughes. As such, the return would allow Bill Guerin to push back from the table and restock his cupboard moving forward.
It wouldn’t be an ideal solution for the Wild, but it could be a fantastic outcome for the Devils.
Devils could get Quinn Hughes without paying through the nose
Now, let’s break down what this package would mean for the Devils. The biggest gamble here would be trading Silayev. The towering defenseman has top-pairing potential. If he hits his ceiling, he could become a star in the NHL down the line.
And that’s just the thing. Quinn Hughes is one of the NHL’s best defensemen NOW. Silayev is still very much a work in progress.
As for Dawson Mercer, you could argue that Luke Evangelista would have been a replacement for Mercer. And considering how the 24-year-old Mercer has been in trade rumors seemingly forever, there’s reason to think that this would be a logical outcome for the Devils forward.
Alexander Command was the Devils' first-round pick this year. He’s a solid center and could blossom into a top-six forward at some point down the line. Again, that’s a major question mark. There is no telling if that will ever happen.
Lastly, the first-round pick is par for the course. The Devils have two picks in the 2027 NHL Draft. So, the Devils could try to send the Vegas Golden Knights’ pick, one that the Devils picked up in the Simon Nemec trade.
All told, if such a deal could happen, the Devils could get Quinn Hughes for a much lower price than expected. Bill Guerin and the Wild could save face, despite potentially facing some fan backlash.
So, let’s see if this idea, as hypothetical as it may be, could really find some legs.
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