Quinn Hughes: The New Jersey Devils’ Next Obvious Target

Mathis Therrien
Quinn Hughes: The New Jersey Devils’ Next Obvious Target
Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images

The Connor Hellebuyck saga finally came to an end yesterday.

The New Jersey Devils made a major move yesterday by acquiring the American goaltender from the Winnipeg Jets, who had requested a trade and hadn't played since the start of the season.

Hellebuyck significantly bolsters the Devils, who are now a very intriguing and formidable team on paper.

And it's not just hockey fans and National Hockey League executives who see this.

NHL players can clearly see that the Devils are building a Stanley Cup contender, and that makes them a very attractive destination.

In fact, if there's one player who's looking at the Devils with stars in his eyes, it's American defenseman Quinn Hughes, who sees his two brothers as well as his Olympic teammate, Connor Hellebuyck, all playing together on the same team.

It's clear that the acquisition of Hellebuyck helps the Devils' case with Hughes, and it's clear that Sunny Mehta will do everything in his power to add Quinn Hughes to his roster.

Several analysts and experts believe that the acquisition of Hellebuyck most likely sets the stage for another move, given that everyone sees Quinn Hughes ending up in New Jersey, whether via trade or on the free-agent market.

The Minnesota Wild defenseman is in the final year of his contract ($7.85 million over 6 years) and could therefore become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

The Devils have thus clearly put even more pressure on Minnesota Wild General Manager Bill Guerin, who admits he doesn't know how to re-sign defenseman Quinn Hughes.

The Wild will have no choice but to make a decision on this matter: either sign Quinn Hughes to a very lucrative contract to keep him in Minnesota, or trade him to avoid losing him for nothing on the free-agent market.

My gut tells me that the Devils and the Wild will be in contact by the end of the season, and I sincerely believe that Quinn Hughes will end up in New Jersey.

Of course, all of this remains to be seen.


In a Nutshell

– That's true.

– Worth reading.

– This is one to watch closely.

– We'll see.

facebook icon Share twitter icon Tweet linkedin icon Share
Copied!