The New Jersey Devils and Detroit Red Wings missed out on acquiring Quinn Hughes, but here's why showing patience on the NHL trade market is the prudent thing for them to do.
The Minnesota Wild won the Quinn Hughes sweepstakes, but they weren't the only team trying to acquire the Vancouver Canucks captain.
The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun reported two teams in particular – the Detroit Red Wings and New Jersey Devils – were interested in trading for Hughes. And although the Canucks got a heck of a haul for one of the best players in franchise history – Zeev Buium, Marco Rossi, Liam Ohgren and a first-round pick – the Wings and Devils could put together a strong trade package if someone else becomes available.
Ah, but there's the rub, isn't there? There isn't another defenseman of Hughes' level on the trade front.
It's not as if New Jersey and Detroit can snap their fingers and summon a needle-moving blueliner to give them one of the better defense corps in the NHL. And while the Hughes trade may be one of the biggest deals we see this season, the Red Wings and Devils should be showing patience until a true difference-making defenseman is on the trade block.
Who knows – maybe the Calgary Flames do as expected and trade pending UFA Rasmus Andersson to the highest bidder. Andersson's current salary of $4.55 million makes him one of the best-value defensemen available.
Or maybe the Buffalo Sabres and new GM Jarmo Kekalainen decide to give young blueliner Owen Power a fresh start and round out their lineup. The 23-year-old is a cost-controlled D-man signed through the 2030-31 season at the relatively affordable price of $8.35 million. Power has occasionally surfaced in trade speculation, but it's unlikely at this point that he gets moved.
NHL Rumor Roundup: The Aftershocks From The Quinn Hughes Trade
The hockey world remains abuzz over Friday's blockbuster trade that sent Quinn Hughes from Vancouver to Minnesota. NHL clubs that failed to land him could shift their focus elsewhere.
In any case, rather than trying to shoehorn a decent blueliner into their roster, New Jersey and Detroit have to be patient and see what the trade market has for them closer to the league's March 6 trade deadline.
The more teams that are out of the Stanley Cup playoff race, the more a buyer's market for a D-man will materialize. And a month or two from now, Wings GM Steve Yzerman and Devils counterpart Tom Fitzgerald could have more trade options to firm up their back end.
In the Devils' case, they already have a pretty deep and balanced defense corps, featuring established veterans Dougie Hamilton, Brett Pesce and Brenden Dillon, and up-and-coming youngsters Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec. If they're concerned about injuries to Nemec and Pesce, a rental could be the better option to get them into the playoffs and win rounds.
And in the Red Wings' case, they've got a foundational talent in Moritz Seider and youngsters Axel Sandin-Pellikka and Simon Edvinsson in the NHL already. So there's no sense of urgency to rush out and pick up a veteran D-man when they also have Ben Chiarot, Travis Hamonic and Jacob Bernard-Docker.
Rumor: Why Quinn Hughes Didn’t End Up In New Jersey
It came as a surprise to many that Quinn Hughes did not end up in New Jersey with his brothers, Jack and Luke.
Sure, in the big picture, adding someone of Hughes' talents would be something any team would happily do. But there's a reason why the Canucks were able to add so many assets for Hughes – there are few difference-makers anywhere close to his level.
What would be easier is for Detroit and New Jersey to trade for defensive depth at a lower cost. That keeps the Wings and Devils' depth charts more competitive than they would be if they were to put together a massive package of draft picks and prospects for someone like Power or Andersson.
The Devils rank 19th in goals against per game, and the Red Wings rank 21st, so if anything, they need a defensive defenseman or some better forward depth that can play a two-way game and help outscore their issues. After all, the Devils also rank 23rd in goals-for per game, while Detroit sits 13th.
But rushing out and throwing assets at a competitor just for the sake of saying you addressed your team's 'D' doesn't sound at all like the prudent thing for the Devils and Red Wings to do. Let some time go by, give the current roster a vote of confidence and capitalize on the opportunities once they arise.
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