Cale Makar may have just changed the Quinn Hughes conversation without the New Jersey Devils making a single phone call.
Makar signed an eight-year, $163.2 million extension with the Colorado Avalanche on August 28, carrying an NHL-record $20.4 million annual cap hit beginning in 2027-28. That matters directly to Hughes, who is entering the final season of his contract with the Minnesota Wild at a $7.85 million cap hit and can become an unrestricted free agent in July 2027. NHL.com specifically identified Hughes as one of the elite defensemen whose future could be affected by Makar resetting the market.
Does that suddenly mean Hughes is headed to New Jersey to join brothers Jack and Luke Hughes?
No.
But in my view, Makar’s contract just made Minnesota’s most important negotiation significantly more complicated and that is exactly why the New Jersey Devils remain impossible to completely remove from the long-term conversation.
Most importantly, there is a major distinction readers need to understand: league sources recently pushed back hard against reports that the Minnesota Wild have discussed a Hughes trade with New Jersey or any other team. As of now, there is no verified Devils-Wild trade negotiation involving Hughes.
Why Cale Makar’s Contract Changes the Quinn Hughes Trade Math
The question is no longer whether Quinn Hughes deserves to become one of hockey’s highest-paid defensemen.
The question is how close his next contract gets to Makar’s $20.4 million benchmark.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported before Makar signed that negotiations between Hughes and Minnesota had lasted longer than expected, saying, “I’ll be concerned if it’s not done at the start of the season.” Friedman also wondered whether Hughes and Makar had been watching each other’s negotiations before one established the market.
Now Makar has gone first.
Hughes produced 76 points in 74 games last season, including 53 points in only 48 regular-season games after Minnesota acquired him from Vancouver. He then added 15 points in 11 playoff games while averaging an enormous 30:57 of ice time. Minnesota did not acquire Hughes to eventually flip him. The Wild surrendered Marco Rossi, Zeev Buium, Liam Ohgren and a first-round pick to land him.
Hughes has also publicly said he is open to staying in Minnesota, telling NHL.com in May, “I really like it here.”
That is why I still believe a Wild extension remains the most logical outcome.
But Makar just increased the price of certainty.
Quinn Hughes Career NHL Stats
| Type | GP | G | A | P | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular Season | 507 | 66 | 419 | 485 | 27 |
| Playoffs | 41 | 6 | 35 | 41 | 9 |
What the New Jersey Devils Would Have to Make Work
Here is where the Devils angle becomes interesting.
The NHL’s 2027-28 salary cap is projected at $113.5 million. PuckPedia currently projects Minnesota with approximately $45.98 million in space for that season, but only 11 of 23 roster spots filled. New Jersey projects approximately $32.33 million in space with 14 roster spots filled.
A Hughes contract near $20 million therefore does not make a Minnesota extension impossible. Far from it.
But Minnesota would suddenly have $17 million committed to Kirill Kaprizov, potentially around $20 million to Hughes and another $8.5 million to Brock Faber. That is nearly $46 million tied up in three players.
New Jersey has its own problem. The Devils could not simply drop a $20.4 million Hughes extension onto their existing 2027-28 commitments and comfortably fill out the rest of the roster. Salary would have to move.
That is why any serious Hughes-to-New Jersey scenario likely becomes much more than a simple prospect-and-picks trade.
*The $9 million-cleared scenario is an illustrative NHLTradeRumor.com calculation, not a reported Devils roster move.
My Quinn Hughes Trade Value Model
My current Hughes trade-value score is 85 out of 100.
He receives maximum marks for elite impact, positional scarcity and the enormous value of his current $7.85 million cap hit. What prevents the score from approaching 100 is simple: Minnesota is selling only one guaranteed season unless an acquiring club has confidence it can extend him.
That changes the trade conversation dramatically.
If Hughes were signed long term, Minnesota could demand an almost untouchable package. Without an extension, a buyer has to price in the risk that Hughes reaches free agency in 2027.
For the New Jersey Devils, that risk is arguably smaller than for almost any other bidder because Jack Hughes and Luke Hughes are already there.
That does not prove Quinn wants New Jersey. It does explain why the Devils will continue appearing in speculation until he commits somewhere long term.
The Update That Matters: Earlier Devils Trade Chatter Has Not Been Confirmed
This is important for credibility.
Earlier speculation suggested Minnesota might eventually entertain a New Jersey deal if Hughes remained unsigned.
The latest reporting has not confirmed that step.
League sources reported on August 26 that Minnesota had not engaged New Jersey or another NHL team in Hughes trade discussions. That means an article claiming the Wild are currently negotiating a Hughes trade with the Devils would go beyond the available evidence.
What has changed is the financial environment.
Makar has established the number. Hughes now has considerably more leverage. Training camp is approaching. Minnesota wants him long term. And New Jersey remains the most obvious team for speculation because his two brothers already play there.
My read today: Minnesota remains the favorite to keep Quinn Hughes, but every week without an extension raises the importance of the Devils storyline.
Makar’s $163.2 million deal did not open a trade door by itself.
It may have made that door much more expensive for Minnesota to keep permanently shut.
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