Less than a year after being part of a blockbuster trade, Quinn Hughes is back at the forefront of chatter around the league.
The prevailing wisdom around the grapevine is that Hughes would likely stay in Minnesota. There’s also talk that he could join his brothers in New Jersey.
But then again, what if there was a team no one really saw coming, like the Toronto Maple Leafs?
As implausible as it may seem, the idea of Quinn Hughes landing in Toronto isn’t so far-fetched.
The rationale behind that move lies in the potential circumstances that may unfold in Minnesota. What if the Wild find themselves seemingly unable to re-sign Hughes? What if he would rather test free agency than ink a long-term deal with the Wild?
If Hughes wanted to take his show to the biggest stage in the NHL, would that pave the way to Toronto?
That stage could be New York or Boston. But it could also be Toronto. And, if the Maple Leafs are suddenly a resurgent club with a budding superstar like Gavin McKenna riding shotgun with a rejuvenated Auston Matthews?
The stars may line up for John Chayka to swing a deal to land Quinn Hughes either via a trade or in free agency.
Trading for Quinn Hughes Won’t Be Easy
All right, trading for Quinn Hughes would be next to impossible for the Maple Leafs. The Wild would want a king’s ransom for the former Norris Trophy winner, especially after everything they gave up to get him.
The Wild should be aware of the sunk cost fallacy. There is little chance that Minnesota can recoup what it paid for Hughes if the organization chooses to trade him.
That said, the Wild could be willing to move him for the best possible deal if they were desperate enough. The prospect of losing him for nothing might provide sufficient motivation to take back a seemingly inferior package just to salvage the situation.
That’s where the Maple Leafs could cash in. Quinn Hughes could just say, “I want to go to Toronto,” and that would be the end of it.
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Maple Leafs Would Have a Much Better Chance in Free Agency
The best chance the Maple Leafs would have to land Hughes would be in free agency. The Wild are highly unlikely to trade their top defenseman. The idea is to run it back one more year, even without a contract extension, in hopes of finally getting through in the playoffs.
The Wild were great against the Dallas Stars, but smashed into the Colorado Avalanche in the second round. But that’s not reason enough for the Wild to give up. If anything, Minnesota GM Bill Guerin will likely double down and try to add to his current core.
That approach may entail letting the clock run out on Quinn Hughes’ current deal. Should the 26-year-old reach UFA status in the summer of 2027, wouldn’t a resurgent Maple Leafs team look good?
Of course, that logic would only make sense if the Leafs were actually good. They would have to go on a deep playoff run to prove to a prime free agent like Hughes that there’s potential to win a Stanley Cup.
If the Leafs regress any further, well, it may be a while before any big-ticket free agents even choose to take a whiff of anything close to Toronto.
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