Quinn Hughes Now Linked To Devils' Rival in Metropolitan Division

The Quinn Hughes impasse continues in Minnesota. The superstar defenseman has one year to go on his contract, but despite being eligible, has not yet agreed to an extension with the Wild. Many are wondering what will come next. 

Most around hockey assume that Hughes will instead make his way to the New Jersey Devils to join his two brothers, Jack and Luke. But now we get a suggestion from Kevin Kurz in The Athletic that the Devils' division rival, the Philadelphia Flyers, might actually be a potential next stop.

Here’s what we know and have reported here before: Hughes had a great relationship with Philadelphia Flyers coach Rick Tocchet in Vancouver and is good friends with Trevor Zegras. The Flyers were interested in Hughes last season before he was dealt to the Minnesota Wild but were informed the Vancouver Canucks had no interest in moving him here. 

And, of course, the Flyers are clearly going big-game hunting after offer-sheeting Leo Carlsson. They are ready to try to add a star player while making that player one of the highest-paid in the league because of their salary-cap flexibility.

Hughes, of course, would warrant a contract close to the top of the league's pay scale on any extension. You could argue that he shouldn't get more than Cale Makar, arguably the only better blueliner in the world. Makar just signed an extension with the Colorado Avalanche for a hockey-record $20.4 million AAV. 

The Flyers have just under $14M in cap space right now, but any new Hughes extension would kick in for the 2027-28 season, as he'll play out the final year of his current deal this coming season, at a "bargain" $7.85 million. 

Would Quinn Hughes be interested in playing against his brothers in several heated intra-divisional battles in the Metropolitan this coming season and perhaps a couple more? It seems unlikely. But he'd at least be direct neighbors with them, geographically. 

The Tocchet connection, at least, can't be denied.