Devils' Players Reportedly Agreed on Trade Decision Amid Quinn Hughes' Wild Move

The New Jersey Devils missed out on former Norris Trophy winner Quinn Hughes, who was traded to the Minnesota Wild in a major deal on Friday.

The Vancouver Canucks received three former first-round picks from Minnesota — Marco Rossi, Liam Ohgren and Zeev Buium — along with the Wild’s 2026 first-round pick.

Discussion quickly shifted to why New Jersey, long connected to landing Hughes because of the franchise’s familial ties by way of rostering his younger brothers Jack and Luke, could not finalize a trade.

On Monday, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman addressed the situation on the “32 Thoughts” podcast and what prevented the Devils from completing the transaction.

Friedman gave background on the no-move (NMC) and no-trade (NTC) clauses signed around the NHL, giving listeners context.

“To me, if I sign a contract with you or you sign a contract with me, I expect two things. I expect you to live up to your end of the deal and me to live up to my end of the deal. If a player says no to a trade, that’s their right. That’s the way I feel,” Friedman said.

Friedman then revealed his belief about New Jersey’s deadline attempts and how some Devils players vetoed trades that would have allowed the franchise to complete a deal for Hughes, or at least present a serious offer.

“I do believe the Devils have had a couple of deals vetoed; I do believe that,” Friedman said. “I don’t know who, I don’t know what, but I do believe that’s happened. There’s too much noise out there for that not to have occurred.”

Friedman made it clear he doesn’t believe Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald is in danger after failing to land Hughes because of signing players to deals featuring NMC/NTC clauses.

“Some people were wondering if Fitzgerald was in trouble. I don’t believe that.” Friedman said.

Former Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes (43) skates next to his brother, New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes (86).Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports via Imagn Images

Ultimately, Friedman revealed a call he received Sunday pointing toward the Devils’ failed attempt to land Hughes.

“[Another franchise’s people] think what has happened with the Devils is that, yes, they agree that there might have been some deals vetoed, but they also think that the Devils reached a point where they knew they weren’t going to get Hughes here because they could not beat the Minnesota offer,” Friedman said.

New Jersey’s pursuit ended as Minnesota secured the 26-year-old defenseman, who led Vancouver with 23 points in 26 games at the time of the trade.

Hughes, a 2023-24 Norris Trophy winner, already scored his first goal for the Wild in his debut on Sunday, helping Minnesota beat the Boston Bruins 6-2.

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Dec 15, 2025, where it first appeared in the NHL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Devils’ Players Reportedly Agreed on Trade Decision Amid Quinn Hughes’ Wild Move

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