When the Detroit Red Wings missed out on the Quinn Hughes sweepstakes, many NHL insiders and pundits saw this as a turning point with the organization. Months later, they appeared (somewhat) vindicated as Dylan Larkin requested his trade.
What's important to note, however, is that Vancouver's asking price for the Red Wings was far different than it was for the Minnesota Wild.
The Wild sent their best defensive prospect, top forward prospect, a second-line center in Marco Rossi and a first round pick as recompense. If reports are to be believed, the Canucks asked for Simon Edvinsson (who would have taken the place of Wild prospect Zeev Buium) in return.
The trade would've likely involved Edvinsson as well as Marco Kasper or Nate Danielson plus a roster player and a first round pick. It goes without saying that Hughes is an objective improvement to Edvinsson. He's much more skilled offensively and provides more overall than Edvinsson currently does with the Red Wings.
But the resulting trade, had it gone through, would not have worked out for the Red Wings for a myriad of reasons.
Red Wings still in nightmare division
Trading for Hughes would certainly upgrade the roster, but it doesn't change the rest of the nightmarish division that is the Atlantic. Every single team upgraded in some way, shape or form this offseason. The Red Wings would still have to contend with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres and Ottawa Senators for a single Wild Card spot.
If they did happen to sneak into the playoffs at the end of the 2025-26 season, they'd face off against either the Sabres or the Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes. Even with Hughes in the lineup, the team just simply wouldn't have the depth required to make a run for the Cup.
Sure, the excitement of breaking the playoff streak would be fun, but what would it matter if the Red Wings were hitting the golf course a week later than usual?
To make matters worse, that isn't even scratching the surface of problems:
Dylan Larkin could still request trade
If rumors are believed to be true, soon-to-be-former captain Dylan Larkin and general manager Steve Yzerman's relationship was already on the rocks. While Minnesota is on Larkin's three (four?) team trade list, there's no guarantee that he would still want to stay in Detroit.
This brings us to the biggest problem in a would-be trade for Hughes scenario:
Pressure to sign Hughes could put Red Wings in Wild-like situation
Perhaps no other general manager in the NHL is under more pressure right now than Bill Guerin. Not only are the Wild struggling to find a top-line center, they also need to get a deal done with Hughes as soon as possible. Hughes is a pending unrestricted free agent. If they can't get a deal done, he might leave to play with his brothers on the New Jersey Devils.
If Hughes leaves, the Wild gave up their top defensive prospect, a second line center, their top forward prospect and a first round pick for nothing more than a season and a half of Hughes.
Had the Red Wings made this trade, they'd be in the exact situation the Wild are in right now with no guarantee of extending him.
In fact, that very hypothetical is why Yzerman didn't trade for H
According to former Detroit sports reporter Keith Gave, the Red Wings had a deal in place but backed out because Hughes wouldn't agree to a handshake 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
While it's perfectly fair to ponder the what-ifs of deals like these, this could very well be a nightmare scenario for the Wild if Hughes fails to re-sign.
Sometimes the best moves in hockey are the ones you don't make. This could very well be one of them in the long run.
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