The Minnesota Wild won the Quinn Hughes trade sweepstakes this past year. This is after former New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald failed to make a deal work in several areas. There's a lot of talk about whether Quinn will sign a long-term deal with Minnesota. One way, early on, that Wild GM Bill Guerin tried to make things more enticing was by acquiring another of the Hughes brothers that same season.
Michael Russo of The Athletic reported that the Wild had attempted to pry Luke Hughes from New Jersey. "It’s hard to believe Jack (Hughes) would leave their youngest brother, Luke, behind with the New Jersey Devils. That may be why, per league sources, the Wild made a pitch to former Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald to acquire Luke this past season."
Fortunately, Fitzgerald did not make whatever deal that was offered for Luke Hughes. However, this news will certainly strike fear and worry into the hearts of all Devils' fans. After missing out on bringing the trio to the Garden State, the feeling has shifted towards the three potentially coming together in the "State of Hockey." Despite this, there's still optimism about the potential of all three brothers suiting up in the red and black.
Both Jack and Luke Hughes are signed in New Jersey until at least 2030. Luke Hughes is actually signed through 2031. Quinn Hughes's current contract runs out at the end of the 2026-27 season. If the Devils can improve next year, lock down guys like Nico Hischier and Arseny Gritsyuk, and the Wild don't show improvement, the dream of Quinn to New Jersey is still a reality.
"That may be why, per league sources, the Wild made a pitch to former Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald to acquire Luke (Hughes) this past season."Michael Russo, The Athletic
Unfortunately, there's a long way to go before the Devils can make that happen. On top of that, the Devils' new GM, Sunny Mehta, has a lot of work to do to retool a roster that is stagnant. It may take more than one season for Mehta and co. to turn New Jersey into a true Stanley Cup contender, given what they have to do.
Make no mistake about it, this report should sound the alarm bells for Mehta that it's time to take this Devils franchise to the next level. If the struggles continue, the clock will start ticking, and it won't be long before Jack and Luke potentially force their way to wherever their brother plays.
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