August and September are dangerous times for hockey fans. The draft and free agency periods of June and July are a distant memory, yet the start of the National Hockey League (NHL) season is still weeks away.
How do fans fill this lull in the calendar before puck drop in October? Obviously, by reading into every rumor and creating crazy hypotheticals that may (but probably never even come close) happen.
In this offseason’s edition of conspiracies, Sidney Crosby, Kirill Kaprizov, and Connor McDavid may leave their respective teams, leading to 31 other fanbases being convinced that these superstars will be coming to their cities.
Another trio has been prominently featured in the rumor mill, one with a distinct Michigan connection. Speculation has emerged that the Hughes brothers, Quinn, Jack, and Luke, are looking to play on the same team sooner rather than later.
The New Jersey Devils are the most obvious destination for the brothers to reunite, as Jack and Luke already play together there, and Quinn would just need to depart the Vancouver Canucks to join them.
Jack addressed, and perhaps fueled, these rumors a couple of weeks ago, saying:
"This is the headline question, you know? Honestly, I’m not afraid to say it. Yeah, I would love for Quinn to, eventually. I’d love to play with him. And whether that’s in New Jersey or at what time that takes, at some point, I want to play with Quinn. But yeah, that’s the question going around. They talk all day about it up in Vancouver, you know? But yeah I’d love to play with Quinn at some point."
“Or at what time that takes.” In that line, Jack leaves the door open for the Hughes’ potentially uniting on a team other than the Devils, and what better team than their hometown Detroit Red Wings?
The Hughes' connections to Michigan pave the way for them eventually joining the Red Wings
Although they spent parts of their childhood in Florida, Massachusetts, and Canada, the Hugheses eventually moved to Michigan and continue residing there during the offseason. Quinn and Luke also starred at the University of Michigan, while Jack played for the U.S. National Development Team Program based in Plymouth, Michigan.
All three are also friends of fellow Michigan native and Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin.
Further growing these rumors are the Devils so far failing to come to a contract extension with Luke and the continual turmoil of the Canucks that could lead to Quinn leaving. Jack is signed in New Jersey through 2030, but hockey moves fast, and you never know when he could become available.
Acquiring Quinn Hughes is the most obvious way for the Red Wings to unite the brothers.
The Red Wings' most obvious route to acquiring the Hugheses is through trade. As mentioned, Jack does not appear to be hitting the trade block anytime soon. Luke’s contract negotiations bring some hope that he will become available, but all signs still point to him working something out in New Jersey.
This leaves Quinn as the clear favorite of the three to be traded or acquired via free agency. Despite Quinn being the captain and a Norris Trophy winner, the turmoil around the Canucks has reportedly begun to weigh on the eldest Hughes. The team may also elect to "blow it up" and use the assets from a potential Quinn trade to jumpstart their rebuild.
Quinn only has two years remaining on his deal, meaning a trade would likely need to happen relatively soon for Vancouver.
If Quinn officially becomes available on the trade market and Detroit makes the move, Axel Sandin-Pellikka and Nate Danielson, along with additional players and/or draft picks, would likely be involved. That is a steep price, but it is worth it considering Quinn’s talent, Detroit’s defensive deficiencies, and the potential Hughes reunion it could pave the way for.
Even if Detroit cannot acquire Quinn via trade, they should be major players for his services when he hits the free agency market in 2027.
Hockey is an ever-evolving sport and nobody ever knows what might happen, but Quinn appears to be the clear opening into the Hugheses joining the Red Wings. If he returns home, then the Red Wings would hopefully just need to wait until 2030 (or through a trade with the Devils) for Jack and Luke to join, too.
The impact of three (or even one) Hughes brothers joining the Wings almost goes without saying. Jack is the top-end forward Detroit has lacked for over a decade, while Quinn and Luke would join Moritz Seider and Simon Edvinsson to form perhaps the best defensive pairings in the game.
This Hughes trio to the Red Wings hypothetical is a mere hope and a prayer for the Red Wings faithful at this point, and the Devils remain the clear favorites to acquire Quinn and complete the trifecta. However, if there is one team that could emerge out of nowhere and pull it off, Detroit is as obvious a choice as any.