The Detroit Red Wings reportedly refused to give up a certain asset that the Canucks wanted in a potential deal for superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes.
The Detroit Red Wings were reportedly very involved with the Vancouver Canucks in trade discussions for Norris trophy winning defenseman Quinn Hughes before he was ultimately traded to the Minnesota Wild in a blockbuster deal.
Minnesota sent a high-end defense prospect in Zeev Buium, an NHL-ready center in Marco Rossi and a middle six forward in Liam Ohgren as well as a 2026 first round pick all to Vancouver for Hughes. There's a possibility that the Canucks gave the Red Wings the opportunity to match the offer with something similar of their own.
Detroit have their 2026 first round pick as well as a few NHL-ready centers in Nate Danielson or Marco Kasper, who has been struggling as of late but was included in several insider reports as to being a part of a potential deal. This then leaves the final portion of the deal, which would've been a high-end defenseman or defense prospect to replace Hughes.
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman added clarity as to how far Detroit actually went in trade talks for Hughes, saying things didn't go as far as some people expect, largely because there was an asset the Canucks wanted that the Red Wings did not want to move. This draws back to the final piece of a potential offer for Hughes being a high-end defenseman or defense prospect and Friedman explained that he believes it was Simon Edvinsson and that the Red Wings were not willing to trade the 22-year-old Swedish defenseman.
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"I heard that it really didn't get far, because there was something Vancouver wanted from Detroit that the Red Wings would not include and I don't know this, but I have wondered if that was Edvinsson, I don't know it, but I just heard there was something that Vancouver said would have to be in the trade with Detroit that the Red Wings were not willing to do and so I don't think it ever got as close as I thought it could," Friedman explained.
If this is true a potential deal for Hughes could've seen either Nate Danielson or Marco Kasper bundled with Simon Edvinsson as well as another depth forward, potentially J.T. Compher or Michael Rasmussen as well as the Red Wings' 2026 first round pick.
The offer would've been a significant ask especially with no guarantee that Hughes would be willing to sign an extension at any point next season. It would've been a significant swing for Detroit GM Steve Yzerman to take and only time will tell if he made the right decision, sticking to his guns and not following through with the deal.
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