It has already come to this with the growing circus surrounding the playing future of Quinn Hughes.
The Detroit Red Wings can gaze into their crystal ball of acquiring a generational difference-maker in the Vancouver Canucks captain, who is a Norris Trophy winner, record breaker, Michigan-bred superstar, and key cog for Team USA in the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Hughes, who turns 26 next month, has two years remaining on his contract. The consummate leader, who lives in the moment and can shut out the constant noise, is wired to win. Hughes also knows great players are measured by post-season success, not a one-off appearance and too many playoff misses.
Hughes led all defencemen in 2023-24 with career highs for goals (17), assists (75) and points (92) in his fifth season.
“I’m just as good as anyone,” he told Postmedia. “But if you’re really an elite defenceman, you have to be competing and at least be in the playoffs. I don’t think this is the peak for me at all.”
And that is what’s really driving the discussion and speculation of what comes next for Hughes. Teams are acutely aware of his options, especially if the Canucks fail to meet expectations of returning to the playoffs. It’s why the Red Wings, along with several other suitors, are keeping an eye on Vancouver.
Quinn Hughes speaks with Jim Rutherford at Jake Milford Charity Invitational tournament on Sept. 8.
Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford knows appeasing one player is not prudent to improving any NHL franchise, but this is different. The Canucks struggled to score last season and were ranked 23rd at 2.84 goals per game. The power play also struggled at 18th with a 22.5 per cent efficiency.
The Canucks attempted to land a second-line centre in the off-season, but asking prices in terms of draft picks and top prospects were expectedly high. But Rutherford might have to eventually bite the bullet to keep the face of the franchise.
“Obviously, Quinn’s future is so important to this franchise and this city,” Rutherford said Wednesday. “Everybody is aware of it. Everybody will talk about it until we get dizzy. But he doesn’t have to make a decision yet. And sometimes in life, you think something one month and something else the next.
“It’s always important to win — especially in this situation. We’re a little bit caught in between with how far you go to do that, which means how many draft picks do you want to trade and how much of the future do you want to trade. You can do that, but he may make a decision to go somewhere else not related to what the team does.
“Or you just go all-in and see where it goes. It’s what I did in Pittsburgh. It was the direction from ownership. We’re always going to try and improve the team, but the first thing Patrik (general manager Allvin) hears when he calls about a player is teams want a couple of first-round picks, or your top prospects.
“And that becomes the juggling act. You do that and your team becomes better, but (Hughes) could prefer to be somewhere different geographically. The biggest topic is that he wants to play with his brothers (Jack and Luke) and everybody knows that by now. But it doesn’t mean it has to happen in two or one year.
Canucks captain Quinn Hughes poses with brothers Luke (left) and Jack before a Dec. 5, 2023 game at Rogers Arena.
“It could happen at the end of their careers. There are so many things, and you can spin it 100 different ways. But there’s only one guy that’s going to make the decision, and he’ll make it for whatever reason. We do have a responsibility, Quinn Hughes or not, to put the best team on the ice that we can.”
However, the best team is one with Hughes driving the play. His inventiveness in the offensive zone, and a shot that packs better velocity and accuracy, are catalysts to easily eclipse 20 goals this season and prop up the power play.
“Great players work on their game every year,” said Canucks head coach Adam Foote. “Quinn will also learn to adapt with teams up on him and targeting him. We’ve had great conversations recently that he’s happy and ready to go. He’s fired up and his head is clear.”
Still, you can understand leaguewide interest if the Canucks stumble out of the gate, fail to consistently win, and are in playoff positioning peril at the March 6 trade deadline. They would be in sell mode, and if their struggles would convince Hughes not to resign here, then the stampede to acquire him would be immense.
For the Red Wings, landing the Canucks dynamo would right a great wrong with a gigantic miss in the 2018 NHL draft. They somehow passed on Hughes, whose emerging game of sublime skating and laser-like passing was already drawing comparisons to Bobby Orr, to select winger Filip Zadina sixth overall.
The Canucks couldn’t believe their good fortune. They landed Hughes with the seventh pick and it became the foundation to amass 409 points (59-350) in 433 regular-season games. He shares the franchise scoring lead for defenceman with Alex Edler, who amassed his total in 492 more games. Noodle on that.
Zadina struggled and managed but 41 goals and 91 points in 262 regular-season games with the Red Wings and San Jose Sharks. He never scored more than 10 goals in any season and is now playing for Davos in the Swiss-A league.