The New Jersey Devils have a big to-do list. However, what everyone is talking about isn’t on the list. Quinn Hughes has been open about his desire this offseason, saying he’s open to staying in Minnesota after Bill Guerin traded a haul to acquire his services. Hughes can’t re-sign until July 1st, so we won’t know if there’s a chance he’s leaving until then.
That hasn’t stopped everyone from talking about a trade between the Wild and the Devils. Of course, the Devils were deep in talks for Hughes last season, but Tom Fitzgerald couldn’t pull the trigger. Fitzgerald is no longer in New Jersey, and Sunny Mehta is looking to get the Devils back to contention. A Quinn Hughes trade would make that happen.
Unfortunately, the discussion around a Hughes trade would end up ruining the Devils. The best teams have two great centers. The Devils are in that position when Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes are both healthy. It’s about the only thing the Devils have that makes them considered yearly contenders. Has there ever been a team predicted to make the playoffs preseason every year just to miss with consistency?
That’s why Fitzgerald is out and Mehta is in. The Devils have been a perennial disappointment under Tom Fitzgerald and Ray Shero before him.
Missing on the Hughes trade was just the latest in a long line of disappointment for Devils fans. And now, if they do get a chance to trade for Hughes again, word on the street is it would cost the one thing keeping the Devils hopes high.
Trading Hughes for Hischier, especially if they add to the trade beyond that, would put the Devils in a bad situation. Honestly, it would put the Devils in the same situation as the Wild are right now. They have a lot of greatness on the team, but they have essentially one center. Joel Eriksson Ek got injured, and the Wild were forced to play Ryan Hartman on the first line.
Trading Quinn Hughes for Nico Hischier would be a net negative for the Devils
If the Devils trade Hischier and Jack Hughes gets injured, as he’s been known to do, the Devils are welcoming first-line Cody Glass to the conversation.
And if the Devils think they can replace Hischier with a center trade? Good luck. Half the teams in the league, including both teams in the Eastern Conference Finals, would love to trade for a second-line center. The competition for guys like Tyler Bertuzzi would be fierce. Heck, Charlie Coyle just got a $6 million contract because of the insane center market.
Trading a guy like Hischier, unless he’s refusing to re-sign for a reasonable rate, would be a major mistake, even if it nets a guy like Quinn Hughes.
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