The idea of Jack Hughes in a Wild sweater sounds outrageous on the surface, but that’s exactly the kind of conversation that gets legs in the NHL once one blockbuster has already blown the door open. With Quinn Hughes having been traded to the Minnesota Wild from the Vancouver Canucks in a stunning move, speculation around the Hughes family has only grown louder.
For now, the expectation is still that Quinn Hughes will eventually sign an extension with Minnesota. Wild general manager Bill Guerin has said talks are ongoing, and the lack of a new deal is what has kept the hypothetical chatter alive as the 2026-27 regular season gets closer.
The more practical outcome is that Hughes stays put. But the league has already shown this summer that even the wildest scenario can become real.
That’s where the Jack Hughes idea comes in. The brothers have all said they would love to play together one day, and the simplest route would seem to be Quinn landing with the New Jersey Devils eventually. That path does not appear likely, though, which is why a reverse angle has been floated: what if Jack is the one who ends up in Minnesota?
To be clear, there have been no reports of trade talks between the Wild and Devils, and there is no indication either Hughes brother is on the move. This is purely a hypothetical exercise. Still, Jack Hughes would fit the kind of swing-for-the-fences move that a contender might chase if he were ever available.
He’s coming off a strong season in New Jersey, posting 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, scoring in overtime against Team Canada and finishing the tournament with four goals and three assists in six games.
That kind of production, plus his value at both ends of the ice, would make him one of the most sought-after names in the league. The concern, of course, is health - but if a player like Hughes were on the market, teams would still line up and pay heavily for the chance to land him.
There is also the matter of his 10-team no-trade clause, which means he would have to approve a move to Minnesota. If he did, the timing could line up nicely for the Wild. In a trade scenario at the 2027 Trade Deadline, Minnesota would have $5.3 million in cap space, enough to make the move without needing to clear much salary.
A deal of that size would almost certainly reshape both organizations. The Devils would get a major package and a chance to retool around younger talent, while the Wild would be making a clear push for a Stanley Cup.
The proposed return is a hefty one: Yakov Trenin, Danila Yurov, Charlie Stramel, a 2028 first-round pick, and a 2029 first-round pick going to New Jersey for Jack Hughes. It’s the kind of offer that would make sense only if Minnesota truly believed it was time to go all-in.
And while the odds of Jack Hughes actually being traded to the Wild remain extremely slim, the fact that the conversation exists says plenty about how much the NHL has changed. After all, with Quinn Hughes already dealt and Mikko Rantanen having been traded twice in the same season, nothing feels completely off the table anymore.
In Other News...
Quinn Hughes Just Gave Devils Fans A Reason To Keep Hoping
Quinn Hughes has become one of the more intriguing names in this offseason tug-of-war, and the latest chatter only adds to the intrigue for Devils fans who are watching every twist. Elliotte Friedman has suggested a three-year deal could land in the neighborhood of $18 million annually, which is the kind of framework that keeps a major player in play without locking anything down too far into the future.
The wrinkle in all of this is the leverage game around Minnesota, where Hughes camp appears to be pushing hard as the Wild weigh how much they are willing to commit. For New Jersey, the hook is obvious: if the market keeps moving and family becomes part of the equation, the Devils remain one of the teams with a real reason to stay on alert, even if the next move still belongs to someone else. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Prospects Are Headed For A Crowded Battle In Utica
Uticas blue line is shaping up to be one of the more interesting parts of the Devils development pipeline heading into the upcoming season. A look at the Comets projected defensive pairings assumes Declan Chisholm is elsewhere with New Jersey, which opens the door for a group that could feature Anton Silayev, Seamus Casey, Vladislav Kolyachonak, Mikael Diotte, Topias Vilen and Ethan Edwards in different combinations.
Of course, these kinds of AHL pairings are never set in stone for long, and that is part of what makes the picture so crowded. The projections are really a snapshot of depth and possibility more than a fixed lineup, but they do underline how many young defensemen the Devils will be trying to sort through in Utica, with roles and partners likely to shift as the season unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Face A Dawson Mercer Decision That Could Define This Roster
As the Devils keep sorting through a roster that still feels like its searching for its final shape under general manager Sunny Mehta, Dawson Mercer has emerged as one of the more consequential names on the board. He has been a steady presence in the lineup and one of the more reliable young forwards on the team, which is part of what makes his situation so delicate. Mercer is entering the last year of his current deal with a $4 million cap hit, and for a club trying to balance present expectations with long-term structure, that puts him squarely in the middle of the conversation.
New Jersey can keep him as a dependable piece and work toward a long-term extension, which would fit the idea of building around players who have already shown they can handle a full load. It can also decide that Mercers value might be highest in a larger trade, the kind that brings back a more impactful name and changes the look of the roster in one swing. The question is not whether Mercer matters, but whether the Devils think he is better used as part of the foundation or as the kind of asset that could help them chase a bigger move. [Read more 🡒]