It’s the kind of trade rumor that forces you to refresh your timeline twice just to make sure you read it correctly. According to a recent report by James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now, if superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes and the Minnesota Wild cannot agree to a contract extension, New Jersey Devils GM Sunny Mehta is prepared to make a jaw-dropping move to acquire him.
New Jersey Devils Trade Rumors: Swapping Nico Hischier for Quinn Hughes
But the asking price is where this story goes from a standard NHL rumor to a franchise-altering earthquake. The bold centerpiece of Mehta’s hypothetical offer? Devils captain Nico Hischier. If Hischier is unwilling to ink his own extension with New Jersey, Nichols suggests Mehta could bundle the elite two-way center with a blue-chip defensive prospect, think Simon Nemec or Anton Silayev, plus a first-round pick and another asset to pry Hughes out of Minnesota.
Nico Hischier Career NHL Stats
| Type | GP | G | A | P | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular Season | 609 | 199 | 289 | 488 | 15 |
| Playoffs | 22 | 6 | 6 | 12 | -9 |
For a deal of this magnitude to actually cross the finish line, it requires a delicate, high-stakes dance. Both the New Jersey Devils and the Minnesota Wild must ensure that Hughes and Hischier agree to contract extensions with their new clubs prior to the trade call. Otherwise, Mehta and Wild management would simply be swapping two massive contract headaches, taking on the terrifying risk that both franchise pillars could walk into the open market next summer for nothing.
The problem is can the Wild afford Hughes? Minnesota has Kirill Kaprizov set to earn a league-leading $17 million annually starting this July. Hughes could seek as much or more.
Quinn Hughes Career NHL Stats
| Type | GP | G | A | P | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular Season | 507 | 66 | 419 | 485 | 27 |
| Playoffs | 41 | 6 | 35 | 41 | 9 |
The Kirill Kaprizov Effect on a Quinn Hughes Extension
I fully believe Quinn Hughes is open to signing a contract extension. The 26-year-old Norris-caliber defenseman has one season remaining on his current deal with a highly digestible cap hit of $7.85 million, and he becomes eligible to sign an extension as early as July 1. He wants to win, and he wants to be compensated like the elite game-breaker he is.
The real problem isn’t Hughes’ willingness to sign; it’s whether the Minnesota Wild can actually afford him.
Let’s look at the math. Minnesota is staring down the barrel of a financial reality where Kirill Kaprizov is set to earn a league-leading $17 million annually starting this July. When you commit that kind of astronomical percentage of your salary cap to a single winger, the rest of your roster construction becomes a suffocating puzzle. Hughes is well within his rights to seek a contract that matches, or even exceeds, that $17 million neighborhood. You simply cannot field a competitive 23-man roster with two players taking up that much oxygen against the cap.
Trading for Hischier gives the Wild a premier, Selke-level center to play alongside Kaprizov, while the Devils get the transcendent puck-moving defenseman they desperately crave. However, giving up Hischier, Nemec or Silayev, and a first-round pick feels incredibly steep for New Jersey, even for a player of Hughes’ caliber.
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