New Jersey Devils fans have been dreaming of Quinn Hughes joining his brothers, Jack and Luke, ever since the eldest of the trio started being involved in trade rumors during his time with the Vancouver Canucks. Tom Fitzgerald failed to execute a trade to get the former Norris Trophy winner last season, as Bill Guerin was more willing to offer the asking price to get him to the Minnesota Wild.
Guerin took a big risk in making that deal, as the defenseman didn't sign a long-term extension. The Wild were willing to let him learn that Minnesota was the place he wanted to be, but with training camp quickly approaching, he is now entering the last year of his deal. If Guerin wants to recoup some of the assets and not risk losing Hughes for nothing, he may need to make a trade before the deadline.
The Devils are the obvious choice to land Quinn, uniting him with his two brothers, as the trio made waves in the tri-state area and beyond this summer with all their public appearances. It would make a ton of sense for them all to join forces in New Jersey, but is it really in everyone's best interest?
Why the three Hughes brothers together could be a terrible idea
First of all, the Devils would have to fit in a $20+ million annual average, as Quinn's recent podcast appearance on 32 Thoughts showed that he has his eyes set on being the highest-paid defenseman in the league. Would he take a slight pay cut to play with his brothers? Potentially, but it would still be a costly endeavor while already paying Luke and Dougie Hamilton $9 million each.
Another sticking point about this being a bad idea is something that many are starting to bring up. If Quinn comes to New Jersey, Luke suddenly becomes a very expensive second-pair defenseman who doesn't play the power play. The youngest brother's bread and butter is his offensive talents, but he certainly isn't going to play in that role more than his brother, who could be the best offensive defenseman in the league.
If the two weren't brothers, Luke would likely be an ideal return for Quinn, as a younger option who plays a similar style. However, with Luke obviously staying if Quinn comes to New Jersey, his role will be severely diminished. They'd love to play together, but it would come at a cost for one of them.
Is being demoted to the second power-play unit (if he earns that first-unit role over Hamilton out of training camp) worth it for Luke to have his two brothers in New Jersey? He would likely say all the right things if it did happen, but it'd be interesting to hear his thoughts after a dose of truth serum.
Likewise, any general manager would love to have Quinn in their lineup, but how would the front office feel about bringing in the older Quinn and paying him so much when they already have younger and cheaper options on the roster? It'd be a great story, but Fitzgerald may not want to be held hostage by the Hughes family.
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