There were a number of teams that were vying for the chance to trade for a generational talent such as Quinn Hughes from Vancouver. Minnesota was the winner, but the fallout from the teams that attempted to, but did not succeed in, getting the 26-year-old superstar is entertaining.
The favorite to land Hughes was the team across the Hudson River, the New Jersey Devils, as both Jack and Luke Hughes are locked up to long-term contracts, and there was a chance for all three brothers to play together. But that did not happen.
Among those teams was the New York Rangers. Which is interesting enough considering the status of this team and the direction it may be heading. The defensive core is a concern, but not that they needed to go all-in on a defenseman that will have to be paid the biggest defenseman contract in NHL history after the 2026-27 season.
Confirmed teams that tried on Quinn Hughes: New Jersey, Detroit, Rangers; and to some degree, Carolina and Buffalo. https://t.co/fRQnTxnmCC
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) December 13, 2025
What was the return they were going to give, and obviously, it had to be a key asset for the Canucks to even consider it? I'm thinking one of the big contracts had to be moved. Let's take a look.
What could have been the trade?
There are two players that jump to mind when looking at what could entice the Canucks to send their most valuable asset. First being Artemi Panarin, and second being Alexis Lafreniere.
As I mentioned earlier, even with a salary cap increase, the Rangers have a tall order after this season in terms of contracts expiring. Panarin is due for a new deal, and as he continues to age but still contributes more offense than anyone else on this team, it is unclear in which direction the Rangers will go with him.
With Lafreniere, he is always a part of some kind of rumor about leaving the Rangers, as his "Bust" label still applies. He has continued to get better, but he has yet to reach a level that he would be considered a game-changer, much like many of the other first-overall picks in recent drafts. We have seen it with Jack Hughes, Connor Bedard, Connor McDavid, and the list goes on and on. Lafreniere is not at that point yet.
Thankfully they did not get Hughes
This is going to sound crazy, but it might be better off that the Rangers did not get Hughes. Even if it was for an aging Panarin, and an underwhelming Lafreniere, the next deal for Hughes would sink the Rangers into a real financial depression. It is going to be hard to keep a player that is destined to have the biggest defenseman contract in league history and the biggest contract for a goaltender in league history on the same team and be successful.
Would it have been nice to get Hughes, absolutely. But it would have been really hard to put together a complete roster with him. The Panarin saga will continue all season, but more likely than not, he will remain a Blueshirt for the rest of his career.
Did the Rangers dodge a bullet not getting Hughes in the biggest deal of the season?