Quinn Hughes’ future as a Vancouver Canuck is very much in question, and if the team continues to struggle, speculation about his departure will only grow louder. That’s been the case lately, as Vancouver is on the outside of the playoff picture looking in, posting a 9-11-2 record through the first 22 games of the campaign.
There’s still time to get on track and at least get a wild card spot, but the Western Conference is at the top, so that’s much easier said than done.
On the other hand, if things stay the same, Hughes could become the most talked-about name leading up to the trade deadline, and that’s looking increasingly likely. former NHLer Mike Rupp recently emphasized that it’s only a matter of time before he inevitably teams up with Jack and Luke in New Jersey.
Rupp said:
“I bet these three brothers on the farm are on the same team, like sooner or later they’re going to be on the same team in the NHL. And does that mean it’s New Jersey? Very likely. It would be a wild situation if it was anywhere else. I don’t think Quinn is going to sign a short-term deal in Vancouver. Vancouver needs to trade Quinn Hughes, like you see it coming. You saw it with the Tkachuk’s… like it’s going to happen,”
The 26-year-old Hughes is in the fifth season of the six-year, $47.1 million extension he signed with the Canucks in 2021.
Should Vancouver trade Quinn Hughes this season?
It’s the question everyone in Vancouver is asking: should we bite the bullet and move our captain if no improvements are made in the standings in the coming weeks and months?
Trading away a top 10 caliber player in the world like Hughes is never going to feel good. Still, as Rupp said, it’s going to be impossible to imagine a scenario where he joins the Canucks, so the sooner they make the decision the better.
Tearing off the band-aid and closing the deal before the deadline could provide the best possible return, as the team that acquires Hughes, most likely New Jersey, would have him for two playoff runs and more, subject to an extension.
This was never a conversation the Canucks and their fans wanted to have, but that’s where we find ourselves now, so they need to move forward in a way that makes the most sense for the franchise.
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