Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes wore the look of someone who is emotionally and physically worn down as he met with the media following Monday’s 4-0 loss to the Detroit Red Wings.
Naturally, the fact that he’s been the subject of trade rumors linking him to the Red Wings was going to be brought up to the Norris Trophy-winning defenseman.
Hughes admitted that there was nothing he could do to combat the speculation. He simply seeks to compartmentalize it and maintain his focus on playing as well as he can for Vancouver.
“As far as other things, I mean, I think I’m doing everything I can,” Hughes told Sportsnet after the game. “I think that (it’s about) playing as good as I can.
“We had our chances tonight.”
🗣️ Quinn Hughes discusses tonight’s game versus Detroit.#Canucks | @theprovince pic.twitter.com/N7P1Tymlzo
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) December 9, 2025
“And if it wasn’t like that for me, for my standards, then obviously that would be a problem.”
The Canucks are mired at the bottom of the NHL standings, and that’s what Hughes pointed to as the reason for his downcast mood.
“You know, I want to win, and where we’re at in the standings, it’s hard to muster up energy after a loss like that,” Hughes said.
Hughes Offers Praise To Red Wings
He did take time to offer an assessment of what he sees in the Red Wings team.
“Credit to them, they have some really good players, and they’ve done a good job through the draft,” Hughes said. “You see that coming to fruition now. But it’s not like that’s a top-three team in the league.
“Like, you know, we played pretty well tonight, and just couldn’t capitalize on our chances.”
Along with the Red Wings, there’s also been recent trade speculation linking Hughes to the New Jersey Devils. Both of Quinn’s brothers, Jack and Luke Hughes, are currently playing for the Devils.