Red Wings Could Land Quinn Hughes in a Hockey Trade

The chatter about Quinn Hughes potentially heading to the Detroit Red Wings isn’t going away any time soon. The club has been rumored to be among the top suitors for the Vancouver Canucks’ captain. As for the price tag, well, that’s another story.

The consensus is that the Canucks want the entire farm for Hughes, and with good reason. Hughes is a generational talent that just doesn’t land on the market. That being said, the prevailing talk is that the Canucks want a top center in return.

In theory, the Canucks have one in Elias Pettersson. Unfortunately, it seems increasingly evident that Pettersson’s 100-point season was an outlier. But beyond getting a top center and a bunch of first-round draft picks, could a team like the Red Wings land Hughes in a hockey trade?

## What Defines a Hockey Trade?

Before delving into that question, let’s define a hockey trade. The traditional definition involves both sides sending pieces of equal value. Typically, these trades involve a 1-for-1 exchange, or commensurate pieces like 2-for-2 and so on.

## Could a Moritz Seider-for-Quinn Hughes Trade Be Even Remotely Possible?

The knee-jerk reaction, particularly from Vancouver fans, would be a resounding no. Why would the Canucks relinquish the best player the club has had in a long time for just one piece?

But then again, Seider is not just any piece. The German blueliner was the sixth-overall pick in 2019 and has been a consistent producer ever since he entered the league. Seider is a right-shot, top-pairing defenseman who steadily produces 40 to 50 points per year. He runs the Red Wings’ top power play unit, plays heavy minutes, and is defensively responsible.

If anything, Seider is an upgrade over Hughes on the defensive side. The 24-year-old is much better defensively despite lower offensive production. Seider is just entering his prime, while Hughes is 26. Yes, Hughes is a proven commodity and the real deal, but he’s also been somewhat injury prone.

## The Elephant in the Room: Comparing Value

Red Wings offer more value in Seider than Canucks do in Hughes. As implausible as it may seem, Moritz Seider offers a much higher upside than Hughes.

Let’s assume Seider is a 40 to 50-point producer for the length of his career and that he remains durable—he’s played all 82 games in every season since his 2021-2022 debut. Plus, he maintains a solid defensive presence while playing against top opponents. Isn’t that what teams want from their top defenseman?

The prevailing opinion is that Seider is on track for a Norris Trophy at some point down the line. If that’s the case, the Canucks wouldn’t do too badly acquiring Seider. He’s under contract until 2031 with a cap hit of $8.55 million—cost certainty the Canucks don’t have right now.

## What Each Team Stands to Gain

The Red Wings would get an all-world defenseman who could push them toward a long playoff run—a possibility Hughes doesn’t have in Vancouver at the moment. The Wings could potentially miss out on some of Seider’s best years down the line, but adding Quinn Hughes could solidify Detroit’s return to the top of the NHL.

That’s why a Hughes-to-Detroit move makes the most sense. The Wings are much closer to the Stanley Cup than the Canucks. Besides, Detroit is a younger team with incredible upside. If everything goes right, the Wings could be perennial playoff contenders for at least a decade.

Hughes, along with captain Dylan Larkin, could be the driving force to bring the Red Wings back to the promised land.

On the other hand, Vancouver gets a stud defenseman to build their team around. Pairing Seider with a solid defensive blueliner like Filip Hronek maintains a legitimate top pair.

As much as Seider delivers more long-term value than Hughes, the two clubs could both come out ahead with this move. Considering how much both teams are trending in different directions, there’s plenty of reason for optimism with this sort of trade.

## The Realities and Possibilities

The odds of this deal happening are slim to none. But then again, the NHL has been crying out for a trade like this for quite some time.

Such a deal could deliver fantastic results for both sides — even if the Red Wings might ultimately be better off keeping Seider.

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Could a blockbuster Quinn Hughes-for-Moritz Seider trade be the shake-up both teams need? Only time will tell. But for now, the speculation remains one of the most intriguing stories in the NHL trade rumor mill.
https://heavy.com/sports/nhl/detroit-red-wings/red-wing-seider-hughes-trade/

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