The Quinn Hughes sweepstakes are officially over, and while the Minnesota Wild ultimately landed the All-Star defenseman, we’re now getting a clearer picture of who else was in the mix-and just how close (or not) they came to pulling the trigger.
New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald acknowledged this week that his team made a push to unite all three Hughes brothers under one roof, but the deal never materialized. Meanwhile, Elliotte Friedman reported that Hughes had a strong preference for Detroit, but Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman wasn’t going to make a move without an extension in place-something that wasn’t even on the table.
But it was Washington Capitals GM Chris Patrick who offered the most insight into his club’s approach. Speaking to the media in D.C., Patrick didn’t shy away from the rumors.
“Yeah…which one of you guys was [spreading] that?” he joked, before confirming the team did, in fact, check in on Hughes.
The Capitals were interested. Just not at the cost it would’ve taken.
“I really like Cole Hutson,” Patrick said. “And for me, I want to see what he can do in a Washington Capitals sweater. So, that wasn’t a piece that I was willing to move in that kind of trade.”
That’s a telling quote. Because to match Minnesota’s offer, the Capitals likely would’ve had to part with a package that included Hutson, 24-year-old center Connor McMichael, winger Ivan Miroshnichenko (a 2022 first-rounder taken just two picks after Liam Öhgren), and a first-round pick. That’s a haul-and for Patrick, it was a step too far.
Hutson, in particular, is a prospect Washington clearly sees as a cornerstone. He’s drawn comparisons to Zeev Buium, the highly-skilled blueliner the Canucks received from Minnesota in the Hughes deal.
Their numbers are strikingly similar: Buium averaged 1.18 points per game over two years of NCAA hockey; Hutson is right there at 1.16 through two seasons at Boston University. Both were key contributors for Team USA at the 2025 World Juniors, where they helped lead the Americans to gold.
Hutson, though, led the team in scoring with 11 points in six games-a standout performance that only reinforced his value.
Buium went 12th overall to Minnesota in 2024. Hutson, despite his talent, slipped to 43rd overall where Washington scooped him up. That kind of draft-day steal is the type of asset GMs hold onto tightly-and Patrick made it clear he wasn’t budging.
“Quinn Hughes is an elite player, for sure,” Patrick said. “But, you know, when you have Jacob Chychrun and John Carlson and Cole Hutson coming…I don’t know if the price…top top prospects we’re talking here, I don’t know if that price would have made sense for what we have.”
That’s the balance teams like Washington have to strike-especially in a season where they’re hovering just outside the playoff picture. The Eastern Conference is a logjam, but the Capitals boast the best goal differential in the conference at +17.
That’s no fluke. There’s talent on this roster.
And with Carlson still anchoring the blue line, Chychrun in the fold, and Hutson waiting in the wings, the Capitals clearly feel they’ve got the pieces to build from within.
And while Hughes heading to the Wild means the Caps will only have to deal with him twice a year, Patrick couldn’t help but crack a smile.
“I’m glad Billy did us a favor and kept him out West,” he said.
In the end, Washington made the call, did their homework, and ultimately decided to bet on their own future. Time will tell if that was the right move-but if Cole Hutson turns into the player they believe he can be, they might not be second-guessing anything.