The idea of Jack Hughes changing teams is the kind of thing that usually lives in the rumor bin for a reason. He’s a cornerstone player, and the Devils have every reason to keep him. But with the NHL’s trade market continuing to throw out wild surprises, one hypothetical has started to get some attention: what if Hughes ended up with the Wild?
It’s a scenario built on speculation, not reporting. There have been no trade talks between Minnesota and New Jersey, and there’s nothing to suggest either Hughes brother is actually on the move. Still, the notion hangs around because the league has already shown it will go bigger than expected, especially after Quinn Hughes was dealt to the Minnesota Wild from the Vancouver Canucks and Mikko Rantanen was traded twice in the same season.
Jack Hughes is coming off a strong season with the Devils, finishing with 27 goals and 50 assists for 77 points in 61 games. He also delivered the winning goal for Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics in overtime against Team Canada, and he wrapped that tournament with four goals and three assists in six games. That kind of production makes him exactly the sort of player a contender would chase if he were ever actually available.
Minnesota, in this thought exercise, is the team making the aggressive swing. The Wild are expected by most fans and insiders to eventually lock Quinn Hughes into an extension, especially with general manager Bill Guerin saying talks are ongoing. But if Jack were somehow the one changing zip codes, the fit would be straightforward: elite talent for a team trying to chase a Stanley Cup.
There are practical hurdles, though. Hughes has a 10-team no-trade clause, so he would have to approve any move to Minnesota. And if this kind of deal were to happen at the 2027 Trade Deadline, the Wild would have $5.3 million in cap space, which would make the financial side easier to manage.
The proposed return for New Jersey is a hefty one: C/LW Yakov Trenin, C/RW Danila Yurov, C/RW Charlie Stramel, a 2028 first-round pick, and a 2029 first-round pick. That kind of package would give the Devils a major reset button, with young forward pieces and future draft capital to work with.
For Minnesota, the payoff would be obvious: a swing for Jack Hughes and a full-throttle push. For New Jersey, it would be the kind of haul that helps soften the blow if a star ever did become available. But even with all that laid out, this still sits firmly in the “what if” category.
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Jet Greaves and Spencer Knight are also part of that next group, which makes this more than a single-player watch for teams tracking the position. For Minnesota, the appeal is obvious: if Wallstedt takes the next step, he can move from promising prospect to legitimate contender in a league that never stops searching for the next elite goalie. The challenge is that the goalie landscape can change quickly, and the players pushing toward that top tier still have to prove they can sustain it when the spotlight gets brighter. [Read more 🡒]