The Detroit Red Wings, per Red Wings insider Keith Gave, had a deal on the table for defenseman Quinn Hughes. For those uninformed, Gave is the reason the Red Wings managed to convince Sergei Fedorov to defect to the United States and sign with the Red Wings. He played a huge role in helping the team form the Russian Five. To say he's well-connected within the world of the Red Wings is an understatement.
Earlier this week, Gave revealed on social media that, per his sources, the Red Wings had a done deal with Quinn Hughes in place. The only reason it fell apart was due to Hughes declining a contract extension.
You are misinformed, like many others.
Steve Yzerman and Vancouver had agreed to a trade for Quinn Hughes. It was a done deal ON THE CONDITION that Hughes agreed to a long-term deal with Detroit. Yzerman and Hughes spoke directly. Hughes declined. Wings sure tried. https://t.co/coFipeE6Fd
If Gave's sources are believed to be true, this begs two separate questions: one, what the deal in place was, and two, why Hughes didn't agree to sign an extension. The latter is understandable: after all, Hughes has yet to sign an extension with the Minnesota Wild. There's still a strong chance he signs with the New Jersey Devils to reunite with his brothers Jack and Luke.
Yzerman's hesitation understandable in Hughes deal
A lot can be said of general manager Steve Yzerman, but one thing is for certain: he's far from shortsighted. Let's imagine a world where Yzerman traded a similar return to what Minnesota offered the Vancouver Canucks for Hughes. In this trade, the Red Wings would sacrifice a 2026 first round pick, Axel Sandin-Pellikka, Marco Kasper and one of Carter Bear or Michael Brandsegg-Nygard.
Let's assume that the Canucks accepted this trade as well, despite asking for Simon Edvinsson in initial talks. In an ideal world, Hughes hits the ground running and helps the Red Wings clinch the playoffs. What happens, then, if the Red Wings lose out? They'll still have Hughes for another season, sure, but they'll need to sign him again. If we're being realistic here, there's no way this roster is built to contend for the Stanley Cup during the 2025-26 or the 2026-27 season.
With that in mind, what would happen if Hughes still decided to walk? The Red Wings would be out three young players and a top-32 draft pick for just one and a half season's worth of Hughes. Is that truly worth the sacrifice? Minnesota making this trade makes sense, as they have a strong core ready to contend. If the Red Wings made this trade and Hughes walked for nothing, fans would call for Yzerman's head the very next day.
It's safe to say that Yzerman made the right (if not popular) choice here.
Criticism of Yzerman still warranted
Still, Gave notes, this doesn't mean Yzerman isn't removed from criticism. "[Yzerman] tried hard & rightfully declined to agree to a deal without a longer commitment from the player," Gave noted, "but too often over the past three years, he hasn't tried hard enough to improve his team."
There's a lot to be critical with over the Yzerplan. From poor depth signings to poorly-aged deadline deals, a lot of moves have yet to pan out for Detroit. Still, without an extension in place, Yzerman made a calculated (if not safe) bet. Should Minnesota fail to extend Hughes, they'll be without their top defensive prospect, a top forward prospect, a high draft pick and their second-line center for just a year or two of Hughes.
Now, if they manage to win a Stanley Cup with this core, fans won't complain, but if it doesn't manifest in anything, it'll be seen as terrible asset management by Wild general manager Bill Guerin.
This also opens an interesting avenue from an asset perspective. What if the Red Wings simply wait it out for Hughes to hit free agency? What if Yzerman manages to acquire Hughes on a long-term deal without needing to sacrifice assets? There's a possible future where the Red Wings run with a core of Moritz Seider, Quinn Hughes, Simon Edvinsson and a much-improved Axel Sandin-Pellikka. This lineup would be among the premier defensive corps in the league.
If Yzerman manages to pull this off, it'll be a crowning achievement in his front office career. If nothing happens, Hughes to Detroit will be yet another "what if" in the history of the Red Wings.
Add us as a preferred source on Google