What a potential Rangers trade for Quinn Hughes could look like
Let’s start with this. This reporter doesn’t believe the New York Rangers will acquire Quinn Hughes, when — if — the Vancouver Canucks decide to trade him.
Right now, Hughes feels like a luxury for a team that already has Adam Fox as its No. 1 defenseman and power-play quarterback. A dynamic proven point producer to play in the top-six forward group is the more immediate need for the Rangers, if they’re going big-game hunting any time soon. Especially with the possibility high-flying forward Artemi Panarin bolts as a free agent next summer.
Of course, the flip side to that argument is that superstars in their prime — regardless of what position they play — demand your attention if they become available, either through free agency or trade. Chris Dury would do a disservice to the Rangers organization if he didn’t check in about Hughes and find out what’s the cost of doing business with the Canucks.
Really, that’s the crux of NHL insider Dave Pagnotta’s take that the Rangers are serious about Hughes
“Do I think it’s going to happen tomorrow? No. Do I think he’s going to be a New York Ranger? I don’t know yet. It’s still way too early in that process,” Pagnotta explained Wednesday on the Morning Cuppa Hockey podcast. “But in terms of teams that I anticipate to be in the mix in a more serious rather than just poking around type of situation, I think the Rangers are going to be one of them with where they’re at, with the owner they’ve got, and with a clear lack of desire to go through a rebuild. I think the New York Rangers … are one of those teams that will try to step up to this.”
And let’s face it, whether goals and points come from the forwards or the back end, the Rangers need to score more 5v5 and on the power play. Through 32 games, they’re 29th in the NHL, averaging 2.56 goals per game. The Rangers were shut out Wednesday for the sixth time this season, losing 3-0 to the Chicago Blackhawks.
Hughes has 431 points (61 goals, 370 assists) in 458 career games, slightly better numbers than Fox (395 points also in 458 games). Each has a Norris Trophy on his resume (Fox in 2021; Hughes in 2024), and each recorded 70 or more points three times.
Of course, each is used to playing big minutes as the top dog on defense, and there’d have to be a shift in mindset about shared roles. But, hey, it certainly worked for the Rangers in 1994, when they won the Stanley Cup with Brian Leetch and Sergei Zubov, two highly-skilled Hall-of-Fame defensemen, anchoring the top two defense pairs.
That’s not an apples to apples comparison, since Leetch and Zubov each were Rangers draft picks, with the latter establishing himself after Leetch already won the Calder and Norris Trophies. A closer comparison is one Rangers coach Mike Sullivan knows well from his days with the Pittsburgh Penguins, who acquired Erik Karlsson when they already had Kris Letang. That hasn’t worked out so well.
But Fox paired with Vladislav Gavrikov, and Hughes alongside Will Borgen? There’s lots to like there, for sure.
So, let’s play along and break down what a possible Rangers trade for Hughes could look like.
What it could take for Rangers to land Quinn Hughes in a trade
Hughes earns a reasonable $7.85 million annually, and his contract runs through 2026-27. The Rangers have $3.709 million in available salary cap space, per PuckPedia. And that’s factoring in LTIR ramifications, since Fox, Matt Rempe, and Adam Edstrom each is on long-term injured reserve.
The Canucks have less than $200,000 in available cap space, with defenseman Derek Forbort on LTIR.
A smooth financial fit for each side is to have Alexis Lafreniere be the main return for Hughes, since the 24-year-old makes $7.45 million through 2031-32. So, for argument’s sake, the Rangers trade Lafreniere, one of their two first-round picks in the 2026 draft, and a prospect, say Brennan Othmann, for Hughes. Maybe the Rangers also get a mid-level prospect or mid-round draft pick back as well. Perhaps, the Canucks want rookie defenseman Scott Morrow included in the deal, since they’ll need a good, young puck distributor to help fill the Hughes void.
That may not be enough for the Canucks, who can expect serious offers from many teams, including the New Jersey Devils, Washington Capitals, and Detroit Red Wings. But it’s an intriguing offer, especially since the Canucks long had interest in Lafreniere.
If it’s not enough, and the Rangers really want Hughes, do they swallow hard and include top prospect Gabe Perreault? That’d leave the Rangers mighty thin in their top-six forward group. Lafreniere is currently a staple there, and if he’s traded, Perreault is the most logical fit to replace him. It’s difficult to see the Rangers sending both forwards, plus a first-round pick, to the Canucks for a player we already deemed a luxury.
In this iteration, Perreault feels a bit untouchable. So, too, do young forwards Will Cuylle and Noah Laba. So, Lafreniere, Morrow, Othmann, and a first-rounder for Hughes. And maybe the Rangers get a piece to help up front.
Another possibility is the Rangers using Braden Schneider as another central figure in a bigger deal for Hughes. That’s another player the Canucks like a lot, and tried to acquire as recently as last season. Since, Schneider makes $2.2 million per season — though is an RFA with arbitration rights after this one ends — this specific trade scenario needs to be expanded because the numbers don’t add up cap-wise for the Rangers, and it’s not a big enough return from the Canucks point of view.
But how about this blockbuster? The Rangers send Lafreniere, Schneider, Othmann and/or Morrow, and a first-round pick to the Canucks for Hughes and Evander Kane, or Nils Hoglander if you prefer? Kane is a rugged veteran forward making $5.125 million in the final season of his contract. The inconsistent but talented Hoglander, makes $3 million per through 2027-28.
It’s all speculative at this point, though fun to go through the process. One thing for certain is that until he’s traded, Quinn Hughes will be the dominant name in NHL trade rumors.
