The New Jersey Devils are taking an extended vacation this offseason, and it all comes back to one major mistake by Tom Fitzgerald. Every report said he had the first shot to trade for Quinn Hughes. Fitzgerald drafted Luke Hughes in 2021, bringing two of the three most talented brothers in the league to one franchise. That date started the clock for Quinn Hughes, who always felt like he was on borrowed time in Vancouver.Â
After the Wild relatively easily dispatched the Dallas Stars in what was expected to be the best series of the first round, they are in an absolute dog fight with the Colorado Avalanche in Game 1 of the second round series.Â
There is a lot that can happen with Hughes and the Wild. And with the latest reports from Elliotte Friedman that Hughes is likely to sign a three-year extension with the Wild, Devils fans are starting to see their dream of connecting the Hughes brothers in New Jersey die a slow death.
Now, we don’t want to overreact to one report that’s reacting to one Wild series win, but it is significant that the biggest breaker of news is saying this publicly.Â
Obviously, something could change Hughes’s mind before he signs the extension. Like Nico Hischier, Hughes isn’t eligible for an extension until July 1st. He could be leaning towards a three-year extension now, but something could make him push to fighting towards 2027 free agency.Â
The way we see it, Devils fans should be looking at two very opposite scenarios. See, if Hughes loses to the Avalanche in seven games, then he sees this as unfinished business. If he makes it to the Western Conference Finals or the Stanley Cup Final and loses, he sees this team as the closest chance he has at a ring.
How should Devils fans treat Quinn Hughes's playoff run?
However, if he gets destroyed in the second round, he might second guess whether Minnesota is his best option to win. He’d had to get past the Avalanche every year, and they are spending big dollars on Kirill Kaprizov and his next contract.Â
If he isn’t sure the Wild are contenders, it might be better for him to just jump ship and go play with his brothers while he’s still in his prime. With a new regime in place in New Jersey, he no longer has the bad taste in his mouth that comes with Tom Fitzgerald failing to make the trade in December.Â
On the contrary, if Hughes wins the Stanley Cup with the Wild this year, conventional wisdom says that he would want to stick around. But the feeling of winning the Cup without his brothers could impact him. He could want to fast forward to a time where they are playing together.
And there is no chance that Sunny Mehta is going to trade Jack and Luke Hughes in his very first offseason. So, Quinn Hughes would have to wait until four seasons later, unless he does what he never really did in Vancouver and forces a trade.
If you ask us, we’d lean towards rooting for destruction in the second round. That would add the extra motivation to play in New Jersey. Would it happen now? Probably not, but the Devils could be patient and find the right time to pounce on Bill Guerin during next season.Â
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