Jack Hughes was the talk of the hockey world on Tuesday after he spoke to multiple media outlets. He was an open book, so many of the top journalists took advantage of the opportunity. Hughes said he would love to play with his brother Quinn Hughes, who is currently the captain of the Vancouver Canucks.
Quinn Hughes has two years left on his contract, which means he couldn’t extend with his current team. However, he is eligible for an extension as of July 1st next year. With that impending deadline approaching fast, there has been a narrative that the Canucks need to make a decision on his future.
In most instances, the assumption is that a player will return to his current employer unless they give us a reason to think otherwise. However, with Quinn Hughes’s brothers playing together in New Jersey, many have assumed the three brothers will join forces in the Garden State.
So when Jack Hughes acknowledged he wants to play with his big brother, it became headline news.
Now, the room at the NHL media tour is waiting for Quinn Hughes’s response, and we got it on Wednesday. Speaking to Pierre Lebrun of The Athletic, Hughes made it pretty clear he’s not surprised by the comments, but he’s also not worried about it right now.
"I mean, he's my brother. What's he supposed to say, first of all? `Like, I don't want to play with him, you know?' ... I mean, we have contracts and whatnot. He's on a different team. Would it be fun to play with those guys at some point? Of course. I think if you guys have brothers, you guys would say the same thing. But we do have contracts. I'm excited to be in Vancouver, and I feel like last year was a little bit of a failure. So I feel like I got things to do there. And I know Jack loves, he loves Jersey, and he's got stuff to do also."Quinn Hughes, via The Athletic
It's interesting to see what the eldest Hughes brother has to say on the matter. He will be the diplomatic one in this process because he has to be. He's the one with the power, and if he shows his cards, then he loses some of that power in negotiation.
Quinn Hughes is one of those players that can name his price when he becomes a free agent. If the Devils truly want to