Everyone wins if the New Jersey Devils get Quinn Hughes early and strike a trade with the Vancouver Canucks, but only if the Devils choose not to listen to certain experts on the price of that endeavor.
With less than two seasons to go on his contract, we've just about heard it all in regards to what it will (or should) take to acquire Hughes, but some costs simply cannot be paid.
"There's all this smattering of he wants to join his brothers in New Jersey. They've got to get to the bottom of that. They can't have that blow up in their face. Quinn Hughes can get a lot, a lot in return," Sportsnet NHL analyst David Amber said during a recent appearance on Sportsnet's "Real Kyper & Bourne" show.
Then came the trade proposal that would undoubtedly excite Canucks fans and leave Devils fans shaking their heads in disapproval.
"If they're going to start shopping around guys, would you do Jesper Bratt and Simon Nemec? The defenseman who was taken second overall scoring all these overtime goals."
“Would you do Jesper Bratt, Šimon Nemec, plus? ... If [Quinn Hughes] is not going to stay, you need to leverage to get as much as you can in return.”@DavidAmber, @RealKyper & @jtbourne discuss why the #Canucks should trade Hughes and what the haul might look like. #NJDevils pic.twitter.com/s91t41GFpx
— Sportsnet 590 The FAN (@FAN590) November 28, 2025
I mean, I wouldn't, and I don't think any sensible Devils fan would right now, either.
Justin Bourne said he would pound the "trade approved button" as soon as he would be allowed, while Nick Kypreos agreed and added, "I'm be squeezing more out of New Jersey, I can tell you that," in addition to suggesting the Devils add two first-round picks to Bratt and Nemec.
The Devils are all but assured Hughes's arrival with brothers Jack and Luke Hughes signed well past Quinn's 2027 UFA year, but, yes, the Devils should also trade their best winger in Bratt, who set the single-season franchise record for assists a year ago, and arguably their best healthy defenseman, who is also just 21 years old, in Nemec.
Not only is this outlandish trade proposal way off the mark from a value perspective, but it also makes the Devils a significantly worse team.
The right side of the defense is left to an aging, injury-prone Dougie Hamilton, an aging Brett Pesce, and Johnathan Kovacevic (knee). Then, at forward, the Devils' top-six wingers are Timo Meier, Dawson Mercer, and... who?
Ondrej Palat and Stefan Noesen seem no longer capable of playing in elevated roles, and while Connor Brown is a capable middle-six winger, the Devils aren't exactly shooting for the stars with that choice. Evgenii Dadonov is 36 years old and has suffered two significant injuries already this season.
The Devils have absolutely no reason to dive into a Hughes trade this early, lest at that ludicrous price. They hold all the cards, and the rest of the NHL knows it, too.