While there are quite a few storylines heading into the 2025-26 season, few have been talked about more than Quinn Hughes' future with the Vancouver Canucks. While the former Norris Trophy winner still has two years left on his contract, speculation is already starting to form that he may depart Vancouver once he becomes a free agent. While there are a number of factors that will play into the eventual decision, the opportunity for the three Hughes brothers to play together appears to be the driving force behind these rumours.
During the season-opening media availability, President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford was asked about Hughes' future with the Canucks. This came on the heels of an interview Hughes did on Sportsnet's 32 Thoughts Podcast, where he said, "If we have a terrible year this year, that's not gonna be very fun. But if we have a terrific year, that's what we want … I'll just leave it at that." As Rutherford explained, the organization is going to do everything they can to ensure Hughes stays in Vancouver, but in the end, they can't fully control his decision.
"Obviously, Quinn's future is so important to this franchise and this city, everybody is aware of it," said Rutherford. "Everybody will talk about it until we get dizzy, but at the end of the day, he doesn't have to make a decision yet. And sometimes in life, you think one thing one month and something else another month. So, to your question, it's always important to win, and especially in this situation, we're a little bit caught in between. How far do you go to do that, which means how many draft picks do you want to trade, and how many of the future do you want to trade? Because you could do that, and he could make a decision to to go somewhere else, non related to how the team does. Or, you just go all in and see where it goes. I mean, it's what I did when I managed in Pittsburgh. We knew we had a chance to win cups, and that was the direction from ownership, and that's what we did. So we're always going to try to improve the team and have a better team. The first thing that Patrick (Allvin) hears when he calls somebody about a player is okay, no problem. We want a first-round pick or a couple of first-round picks, or your top prospects and things like that. And that becomes the juggling act as you do that your team's a lot better. Your team has success, and he may, for different reasons, probably the reasons that we would all consider doing. It's not just him. He may consider that he would prefer to be somewhere different, geographically, for example, you know, I mean, the biggest topic we all talk about must play with his brothers. I mean, think everybody knows that by now, right? But doesn't mean it has to happen two years from now or one year from now. It could happen at the end of their careers. So they say they played with each other. There's so many things. I mean, you can spin this thing 100 different ways, and there's only one guy that's going to make that decision, and he'll make it for whatever reason. But we do have a responsibility, Quinn Hughes or not, to have to put the best team on the ice we can, and that's what Patrick has to work on. He has to continue to work on that through the first half of the season, to improve our team."
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While Hughes' future is still undecided, what is known is that he will be a key piece of the Canucks lineup this season. Not only is he a favourite for the 2026 Norris Trophy, but he will also be representing Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics. When asked about the upcoming season for Hughes, Head Coach Adam Foote spoke about his growth as a player both on and off the ice.
"I think the level is his growth every year. You look at the great players, Crosby, he works on his game. Every year, he works off the ice, on the ice. I think with Quinn, his leadership, he'll continue to grow as he goes through this process. He's a great hockey player; we all see it. Now, time to adapt. There's gonna be times where teams are going to be up on him, targeting him. And as far as match, like playing, I call it staying sticky on him. So he does get the puck, maybe some nights where he might not have it as much because they're pressing him. So we'll play a we'll knock them down on a four-on-four away from him. And that's the growth of a team and the leadership that I think you'll see. You know, he's a young guy. He's going to continue to grow. And we've had a great conversation recently that he's happy, he's ready to play, ready to go, and he called me and said he's fired up and can't wait to get back and get on the ice. His head's clear. So very positive for me. He asked me, yeah, I want you to keep teaching your staff, teaching me how to win a game seven. And it's huge to hear that come from him. That he knows there's growth there, and we all keep getting better. I mean, if you're lucky enough to play for 15 years, 20 years, you have that mindset. The great players have a mindset to be a sponge. And I think he's maturing into that, where he knows he can continue to grow. He's got great coaching around with (Kevin) Dean. He's been lot of good Boston winning here so Huggies is in a good spot. Real happy with our last conversation."
Ultimately, Hughes' contract situation will be a talking point all season. While everyone in Vancouver would like to get this done right away, it is important to note that he can't even sign an extension until July 1. As for right now, the best thing the organization can do to try and keep Hughes is ensue they have a bounce-back year that includes a trip to the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
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