The biggest trade of the year so far in the NHL was the movement of Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild, in exchange for Marco Rossi, Liam Ohgren, Zeev Buium, and a 2026 first-round pick. There had been multiple teams that were reportedly interested in the services of the star blueliner, but were unable to make a deal happen. Hughes went as far as to take jabs at other suitors for not paying up for him. Those jabs have a little more context now.
It is now rumored that Hughes wanted to go to the Detroit Red Wings when the Vancouver Canucks were entertaining a trade, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.
It makes sense that if Hughes did not get traded to, or want to be traded to, the New Jersey Devils to play with his brothers Jack and Luke, he would want to be in Detroit. He played for two seasons with the U.S. National Development team, which is based in Plymouth, Michigan, just a half hour west of Detroit. Then, he played two seasons with the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. That is also less than an hour outside of Detroit.
Still, there were some sticking points for a deal to be done with the Red Wings. Originally, it was believed that the Wings did not want to part ways with Simon Edvinsson, as Brennan McClain of Pro Hockey Rumors points out. Friedman is now saying that the lack of commitment to an extension is what froze the deal.
Hughes is currently under contract through the 2026-27 campaign. This means he cannot sign an extension until the new league year starts in the summer of 2026. Regardless, teams can negotiate before that and come to a handshake agreement.
While Hughes may have wanted to end up in Detroit, things have worked out well so far playing in Minnesota. In 15 games with the club, he has already racked up a goal and 15 assists. Further, he is still on a contending team. The Wild are 26-12-9 on the campaign, placing them in third in the Central Division. Hughes will be back on the ice with his Wild teammates on Thursday, hosting the Winnipeg Jets.
