The New Jersey Devils don’t have a player on their roster who cracked the NHL’s list of top-20 defensemen. They have seen Dougie Hamilton on it before, and Luke Hughes has the potential to get his name in the mix, but it didn’t happen ahead of the 2026-27 season.
Where there is hope, however, is a potential acquisition for the New Jersey Devils. If the Minnesota Wild don’t extend Luke’s brother Quinn Hughes, the Devils would be adding an elite player. The NHL ranked him at number two, only trailing Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche.
Of course, it would be an incredible family story if Quinn Hughes came to the New Jersey Devils, but there are hockey reasons that it makes sense as well.
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In 2025-26, Hughes had 7 goals and 69 assists for 76 points in 74 games played. He was also the number one defenseman on Team USA, which won Gold in Milano Cortina’s 2026 Winter Olympic Games.
If that type of production came to the Devils, with the young core they have in place at forward and on defense, they’d go from playoff hopefuls to Stanley Cup contenders. New Jersey is a franchise rich in history of elite defensemen winning Cups, and Quinn would be a great addition to that.
Quinn was traded to the Minnesota Wild during the 2025-26 season from the Vancouver Canucks, who were made aware that he wanted to eventually play with his brothers when his contract came up. Now, it seems to be a decision between the Wild and Devils for the 26-year-old superstar.
Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier form one of the league’s best center duos in the NHL, which is incredibly important for winning in the playoffs, and having that reliable number one defenseman would only enhance their chances.
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