December 3, 2025 | 11:40am ET
TheFourthPeriod.com

ARE THE RED WINGS IN PURSUIT OF HUGHES?

Quinn Hughes, defenceman

The Vancouver Canucks are engaged in plenty of conversations with other teams about a number of their players, as has been widely reported over the past week.

Despite Vancouver’s willingness to listen on several players, including the likes of Kiefer Sherwood, Conor Garland, Evander Kane, Drew O’Connor, Teddy Blueger and others, speculation surrounding captain Quinn Hughes continues to swirl.

While several NHL Insiders have reported that a trade involving Hughes seems highly unlikely at this point in the season, that has not stopped the chatter, and the more the Canucks struggle, the more the rumour mill churns.

Last week, on multiple episodes of The Sheet, Jeff Marek suggested the Detroit Red Wings are a team to look out for if Hughes ends up being moved – be it in-season, around the NHL Draft in late-June or over the summer.

TFP’s David Pagnotta acknowledged on Friday, during his weekly appearance on The Sheet, the Red Wings are a team interested in Hughes, and Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported this morning on Morning Cuppa Coffee that the Wings “are very high on my list” of teams that may be a landing spot for Hughes.

“I wonder about the Red Wings with Quinn Hughes, and one of the reasons is the family is there in the off-season, that’s where the family makes her home, but I also wondered from the Red Wings point of view, with the free agent class being what it is in the off-season where we thought there would be superstar names, it’s not happening,” Marek said while speaking with Pagnotta.

“Is it not incumbent on the Detroit Red Wings, perhaps, to look at their roster and say 'you know what it’s time we started getting out of the green banana business here and we love all these young players, but we need a superstar and we may have to divorce ourselves from some of these young players.'”

Marek noted Wings defenceman Simon Edvinsson as a player that the Canucks may have interest in, while Pagnotta suggested Lucas Raymond. Friedman, earlier today, noted the Canucks still want to address their centre position and a primary piece in any deal for Hughes could involve a player at that position.

As the Hughes topic continues to gain headlines, there haven’t been any indications that the Canucks are open to moving him right now.

Pagnotta also reported last week that Hughes and his camp “hold all the cards” with respect to his future, be it in Vancouver or elsewhere, and hinted that Hughes may have an unreported no-movement clause that kicks in July 1, 2026.

Hughes, 26, has tallied two goals and 20 assists for 22 points in 22 games with the Canucks so far this season.