It came as a surprise to many that Quinn Hughes did not end up in New Jersey with his brothers, Jack and Luke.
The New Jersey Devils lost the bidding war for former Vancouver Canucks defender Quinn Hughes. Hughes announced on Friday that he would be signing with the Minnesota Wild, after heavy rumors linked him to the Devils.
The Wild weren’t among the leading teams that insiders reported were in discussion over the Norris Trophy winner.
Further reports indicate that the Devils made an offer, but something else prevented them from going through with it.
On 32 Thoughts, Elliotte Friedman said he believes the team’s offer was vetoed by their own players.
“I don't know who. I don't know what, but I do believe that happened,” Friedman said. “There is too much noise out there for that not to have occurred.”
There is no confirmation of which players vetoed the trade offer, but there was a bigger issue as well: the Devils don’t have the cap space to make any moves.
Currently, the Devils have $429,793 in cap space according to PuckPedia. The team has avoided cap issues by placing players on Long-Term Injured Reserve (LITR), but when the injured players return to the lineup, additional adjustments will be needed.
Elliotte Friedman confirmed on Saturday Headlines cap space was another reason that the team was unable to get Hughes.
“New Jersey, they could not clear the cap room; they've got some clauses there...that prevented them from doing what they needed to do to open up spots.”
Two names have been circling in recent trade rumors, specifically regarding contract clauses restricting trades: Dougie Hamilton and Ondrej Palat.
Friedman spoke about the rumors while on DMase Vingan & Daunic podcast.
“Ondrej Palat is the one I think a lot of people are talking about, but he has protection, and I think Dougie Hamilton is another one; he has some protection.”
The two players have been linked to trades since free agency opened on July 1st. A new report suggests that New Jersey Devils’ general manager, Tom Fitzgerald, was shopping the two players in search of a much-needed change to the Devils roster.
The highest-paid player on the Devils at this moment is Dougie Hamilton, earning $8 million annually. Luke Hughes is tied with Hamilton after signing a new contract on September 1.
Hamilton is aging, his performance is declining, and he is on pace for a career-worst season.
The other player that’s eating up a chunk of the salary cap without performing is Ondrej Palat. Palat earns 6 million annually at 34 years old.
It’s no surprise the two players are being circulated in trade rumors, but the bigger question is whether the Devils decide to make any more moves, and if the two will be involved.
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