The future of Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes has been a major talking point over the past few weeks. While Hughes is still signed for two more seasons, many, including President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford, have hinted that the Norris-winning defenceman could leave Vancouver once he becomes a free agent. One of the more likely destinations for Hughes would be the New Jersey Devils, where his brothers Jack and Luke currently play.
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On Friday, Rutherford made an appearance on the 100% Hockey with Millard & Shannon. During his hit, Rutherford touched on many topics, including the future of his captain. While Rutherford is hopeful that Hughes will stay, he did not rule out the possibility of trading the defender before his contract expires on July 1, 2027.
"As for Quinn, no, I don't have a deadline on that," said Rutherford. "I mean, I'll say the obvious. He's a wonderful person and a great player, but we do control him for two more years. I think a better way of saying that is that we control him for a year and two-thirds, because if we get to that trade deadline two years from now, and it looks like he doesn't want to stay then, then we would have to do something at that point. But we are hoping that he's here to stay and he's the leader of the team and the face of the franchise."
Hughes recently wrapped up year four of his six-year contract. He is carrying a cap hit of $7.85 million and has what many consider the best-valued contract in the NHL. While it is hard to project exactly what Hughes' next contract will look like, he may be one of the highest-paid players in the NHL for the 2027-28 season.
Over the past seven seasons, Hughes has become one of the elite players in the NHL. As mentioned, he won the 2024 Norris Trophy and is a finalist for the prestigious award this season. As for this season, Hughes led the Canucks with 76 points in 68 games, and is tied with Alex Edler for the most points by a defenceman in franchise history.
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