Canucks Confront Trade Rumors Around Quinn Hughes and Devils’ Interest

The Vancouver Canucks are approaching the start of training camp for the 2025–26 season, which begins in less than a month. Despite preparations for the new season, reports state that speculation around captain Quinn Hughes’ future with the team has continued. An insider has suggested that if the Canucks struggle during the 2025–26 season or fail to reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Vancouver’s management may need to think about a potential trade involving Hughes.

Rumors began in April when Canucks President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford told reporters that Hughes’ next contract might not depend on money. Rutherford said, “It may not boil down to money with [Quinn]. He said before he wants to play with his brothers. That would be partly out of our control. In our control if we brought his brothers here.”

Following Rutherford’s comments, trade rumors increased. In June, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said the Canucks are “absolutely” on the clock regarding Hughes and stated that Hughes will eventually say, “I don’t want to be somewhere where I’m not gonna win.” James Mirtle of The Athletic wrote that if the Canucks miss the playoffs for the fifth time in the last six seasons, they will have to start considering what a trade involving Hughes might look like. Mirtle wrote, “Maybe Vancouver surprises and has a huge bounce-back season that convinces their captain to stay. Feels unlikely to me, to be honest, but that’s their best-case scenario. Otherwise, they have to start contemplating what a blockbuster trade might look like and whether it’s all about futures.”

Sports betting odds provide additional context to Hughes’ situation and the Devils’ outlook. In Norris Trophy futures, FanDuel lists Cale Makar at +135 and Quinn Hughes at +200. DraftKings lists Hughes at +220. In mid-June, FanDuel had Hughes at +190. For Stanley Cup futures, Covers lists the New Jersey Devils at +1800 to win the Stanley Cup, +360 to win the Metropolitan Division, and +800 to win the Eastern Conference. ESPN lists the Devils at +1600 to win the Stanley Cup, and OddsShark lists them at +2000. DraftKings’ June opening lines listed the Edmonton Oilers at +650 and the Florida Panthers at +700 as the top favorites, with the Devils placed in the range of 18/1 to 20/1.

The New Jersey Devils are considered a potential destination for Hughes because his brothers, Jack Hughes and Luke Hughes, play for the team. Mirtle wrote that “a move to New Jersey seems like a natural option.” Rutherford also raised the scenario of Hughes joining the Devils during a press conference held at the end of last season.

Hughes is under contract with the Canucks through the 2026–27 season, with a salary cap hit of $7.85 million. He won the Norris Trophy in the 2023–24 season and was a finalist in the 2024–25 season. In 2024–25, Hughes recorded 76 points in 68 regular-season games, including 16 goals and 60 assists. He also logged 29 penalty minutes and averaged 25 minutes and 44 seconds of ice time per game. Over the last two seasons, he has totaled 168 points in 150 games.

In April, Rutherford said Hughes had not been very communicative with the organization at the end of the 2024–25 season. Rutherford described Hughes’ relationship with then-head coach Rick Tocchet as “very strong” and based on “a lot of respect.” Rutherford added, “Knowing how he feels about the coach and that he’s a sensitive guy, I would suspect that he feels like I do. We’re disappointed. But knowing the maturity of Quinn, he will make the adjustment necessary.”

The Devils are projected to have more than $62 million in salary cap space by the 2027–28 season. This projection would give them the flexibility to acquire a high-salaried player. A trade involving Hughes before that time would likely require the salary to be sent back to Vancouver.

Rutherford stated, “This franchise cannot afford to lose a guy like Quinn Hughes. We will do everything we can to keep him here, but at the end of the day, it’ll be his decision.” The performance of the Canucks during the 2025–26 season will influence whether Hughes remains with Vancouver or moves to the possibility of playing with his brothers in New Jersey.