Detroit VERY MUCH a Possibility for Quinn Hughes.
Don’t look now, but the Red Wings are actually climbing the “possible Hughes destinations” list… and today they appear at number two…….with a bullet.
This is a very real situation developing.
The Detroit Red Wings may have a chance to right one of their most glaring draft mistakes, and it wouldn’t just fix a personnel issue…. it would be a homecoming story…
as a young kid, Quinn Hughes and his brothers travelled around with his dad who coached in various places…But the family finally settled down in the nearby suburb of Ann Arbor. He played for the University of Michigan Wolverines, and came through the U.S. National Team Development Program in Plymouth. Both cities are deep inside Red Wings territory…
Now, as speculation swirls about Quinn’s future with the Vancouver Canucks, the Wings suddenly find themselves positioned to pursue one of the NHL’s elite defensemen…
The story begins with a decision that still haunts Detroit fans. The Red Wings selected Filip Zadina sixth overall in the 2018 NHL Draft, passing on the local kid, Hughes, who went seventh to Vancouver.
Zadina….well he now plays in Switzerland with Davos HC.
Meanwhile, Hughes has blossomed into not only the best defenseman in Canucks history….but one of the most talented blueliners of the modern era. He’s already the franchise’s all-time leader in assists and points by a defenseman, became the fastest defenseman in NHL history to reach 300 career assists (in just 376 games), and captured the Norris Trophy last season.
But here’s when you really know a player is special: when every other team in the NHL describes their own young, fast defenseman as “reminding us of some of the stuff Quinn Hughes does.”Hughes has become an archetype.
Why Detroit Makes Sense Now
Recent reports suggest the Canucks may be open to significant roster changes as they struggle through another disappointing season. And remember, it was less than a year ago that word leaked out that the three Hughes brothers wanted to eventually play together. Vancouver has long faced speculation that Quinn might want to move New Jersey at some point.
The Red Wings, meanwhile, have assembled a lot of nice pieces…. They are improving, in the middle of the pack this year, but they still lack that true superstar. Hughes, a left-shot defenseman in an area where Detroit isn’t particularly deep, would be the perfect final piece to their puzzle.
Fans are getting vocal. They want a marquee player. The pressure is on GM Steve Yzerman in a way few ever expected to see in Detroit.
This is a major hockey market that hasn’t seen major hockey success in a very long time.
And the fit makes sense beyond hockey. Hughes’ family still lives in the area, and one of his friends, Dylan Larkin, is the Red Wings’ captain. Detroit’s core is increasingly American-born, and Larkin — highly respected in US hockey circles — could be their best recruiter.
Pairing Hughes with physical force Moritz Seider could create one of the best defense pairings in the league.
Current Status: It’s Complicated
Detroit has a compelling case, but they’re not printing up Hughes’ jerseys yet…
Both of Quinn’s brothers….Jack and Luke…. play for the New Jersey Devils, and the bond between the three is very deep and very real.. Quinn, now 26, is in year five of the six-year, $47.1 million deal he signed in 2021. He’s eligible to become a UFA at the end of the 2026–27 season. aka: Next season.
The Devils are still the obvious fit for many reasons. But that too is complicated. Quinn will demand mega money. Jack will too on his next deal. Fitting three Hughes brothers under one cap isn’t as simple as “let’s just make it happen.”
A lot will depend on how much Quinn wants New Jersey specifically. If he comes down enough on his ask, it can happen. But how much is “enough”? This is a true star player here…it will have to be over 11M per… And that is a discount given the fact the cap is on the rise…
If there’s a team that stands as a clear second option, it’s Detroit.And who knows…. maybe someday Jack and Luke could find their way to the Wings, bringing the trio home instead of uniting in Jersey.
Detroit has the cap flexibility not only to trade for Hughes but also to extend him ahead of the 2027–28 season.
Canucks fans on Twitter and Reddit keep pointing to Lucas Raymond as the obvious starting point.. and with good reason. Detroit would be acquiring the reigning Norris Trophy winner, the NHL’s best defenseman last year.
However, Raymond is considered close to untouchable… but could that status changes when you’re talking about acquiring the best defenseman in the NHL? Red Wings versus tell me that Raymond and Larkin are too big of a combination to break up….
Still, I believe Detroit will get more creative. The centerpiece is more likely to be young defenseman Axel Sandin-Pellikka — a high-upside prospect whom many believe plays a little bit like (you guessed it)… Quinn Hughes.
Beyond that, expect a pair of premium first round draft picks — likely protected, but maybe not.
For Detroit, pursuing Quinn Hughes is about more than acquiring an elite defenseman. It’s about bringing home a player whose arrival could accelerate the Wings’ rise in a way no other move realistically could.
Detroit hasn’t played beyond Game 82 since 2016. Hughes could change that instantly.
Whether Steve Yzerman is willing to make the massive bid required remains to be seen….but the pieces are in place for what could become one of the most impactful trades in the storied Red Wings history…and one of Michigan’s most accomplished hockey players ever..
