The chatter surrounding the hypothetical involvement of the Detroit Red Wings in a Quinn Hughes trade has not gone unnoticed. The prevailing chatter was that the Wings have the pieces the Vancouver Canucks seek in deal for their captain.
Of course, that’s all hearsay now that Hughes is a member of the Minnesota Wild
As insider Elliotte Friedman described, the price tag on Quinn Hughes was “outrageous.” Well, the definition of “outrageous” can vary from one team to another.
But as Friedman discussed in his 32 Thoughts blog published on December 12, the Canucks wanted a “young, impactful center.” It just so happens the Red Wings have two of those. Friedman hinted at the two persons of interest for the Canucks, by writing the following:
“A deal is not impossible without one, but it will require something special to offset that desire. I got a few notes wondering if Detroit was “hiding” Marco Kasper Monday in Vancouver as a winger, but, as a lefty, he splits faceoffs with righty Nate Danielson, depending on where it is. That game, he took six and Danielson four.”
Could it be that Nate Danielson and/or Marco Kasper would have been the asking price for Hughes? Now, that’s outrageous. Even with the tough season Kasper has had thus far, he’s still among the best young centers in the game. He proved last season that he’s got top-six potential; just what the Canucks were looking for.
As for Danielson, he’s just coming up this season. But he’s played well enough to stay with the big club. So, the fact that the Red Wings “hid” Kasper and Danielson hints at the fact the Red Wings weren’t necessarily willing to part with them.
The return the Wild paid for Hughes suggests that Friedman was onto something. The Wild gave up Marco Rossi, a center similar to Kasper or Danielson. While Rossi doesn’t have the size that Kasper or Danielson have, his skill more than makes up for it.
Meanwhile, the Wild surrendered Zeev Buium, a solid young blueliner with top-pairing potential. That situation could mean that someone like Simon Edvinsson would have been part of trade.
So, imagine, Kasper, Danielson, Edvinsson, and one or multiple firsts. That’s an eye-watering price for the Red Wings to pay for Quinn Hughes. Steve Yzerman could have gutted the team for a generation. Even if it’s somewhat disappointing that the Red Wings missed out on Quinn Hughes, Detroit fans have to be relieved Yzerman didn’t pull the trigger.
The Red Wings don’t really need Hughes. Detroit has a fantastic team as it is. The Wings will be better off in the long run by keeping the cadre of young talent currently in the mix.