Vancouver Canucks captain Hughes comments on New Jersey Devils trade rumour
The Vancouver Canucks are coming off a solid win on Saturday night, but that wasn’t the biggest headline coming out of the game.
Instead of celebrating the victory, many Canucks fans were concerned about the team’s future, specifically captain Quinn Hughes. Before the game, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported that there had been trade conversations between the Canucks and New Jersey Devils involving Hughes.
Speculation around the Devils and Hughes has been ongoing for months, but it felt like things got dialled up a notch with the league’s most trustworthy insider giving the rumour a bit more credence than usual.
After securing a 4-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Saturday night, Hughes was asked about his reaction to the rumour.
“I’m doing what I can, I’m on the ice,” Hughes said. “It wasn’t like, if there was a call, me, [Canucks President] Jim [Rutherford], and [Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald] hopped on the call.
“I wasn’t part of that, but obviously I’m aware things like that could happen, for sure.”
🎙️| Quinn Hughes on the #NJDevils HNIC trade rumours as well as the Canucks rumours in general
“It wasn’t like, if there was a call, me, Jim and Fitzy hopped on the call. You know, I wasn’t apart of that but obviously I’m aware things like that could happen, for sure.” pic.twitter.com/vTSX1hKW9o
— Hughes Updates (@_hughesupdates) December 7, 2025
The connection between the Canucks captain and the Devils is obvious. New Jersey already employs both of Quinn’s brothers in Jack and Luke Hughes, and it looks like the Devils are looking to reunite the trio.
Friedman did not say what Vancouver’s asking price was in any hypothetical deal, but with Hughes being one of the best defencemen in the entire NHL, it’s bound to be a lot. Hughes was also asked if the team is motivated to play better so that the media attention and trade rumours quiet down.
“It was nice to get the win, I’m not getting the win so that the media can stop talking or whatever you guys are saying,” Hughes said. “It was just nice to get a win we desperately needed.”
Desperate might be an understatement for this Vancouver club, which entered the night dead last in the league. With the victory, however, they leapfrogged the Nashville Predators to improve to second-last in the NHL.
Hughes has just one season left on his current deal after this year. If the Canucks cannot find a way to claw themselves back into playoff contention, it might force management’s hand to consider trading their captain as early as this season.
If that happens, all eyes will be on the Devils.