Todd McLellan on one year later as coach of Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings coach Todd McLellan, Dec. 6, 2025 in Seattle.
Could the Detroit Red Wings add a Norris Trophy winner to their defense?
The Red Wings are in a tight race in the Atlantic Division, moving into the lead with their win Wednesday night at 17-11-3, one point ahead of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins 31 games into the season. But with Detroit sporting a minus-6 goal differential, some defensive help (and scoring from the back line) could be of service.
That makes the Red Wings a potential destination for Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes, the former Michigan Wolverine, U.S. National Development Team member in Plymouth and a first-round pick from 2018. Hughes has turned into one of the NHL’s most valuable defensemen over his eight seasons in the league, making the All-Rookie first team in the 2019-20 season and winning the Norris Trophy in 2023-24 when he recorded a career-high 92 points for a first-place Canucks team.
With the Canucks in last place in the Pacific Division, however, they might be looking to move their top point-getter from 2024-25.
According to Bookies.com, the Red Wings have the best odds of landing Hughes at +150, with the site giving Detroit a 40% chance of trading for the 26-year old. The New Jersey Devils, who have reportedly had talks with the Canucks already, have the second-best odds at +225 while the Philadelphia Flyers have the third-best at +700.
The Canucks, meanwhile, only have a 7.7% chance of retaining him, per the site.
Hughes, who has 22 points so far this season, could immediately inject some much-needed offense from Detroit’s back line. The Red Wings currently only have two defensemen with double-digit point totals on the season: Moritz Seider (22) and rookie Axel Sandin Pellikka (11). Hughes has recorded at least 76 points in each of his past three seasons, including in 2024-25, 30 more points than Detroit’s top-scoring defender from last season (Seider, 46).
And for a Red Wings team that kept relatively quiet on the market this past offseason, a trade for Hughes would mark a momentous move for Detroit general manager Steve Yzerman.
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You can reach Christian at cromo@freepress.com.