One of the bigger storylines across the entire NHL was whether or not the Vancouver Canucks were going to trade their star defenseman Quinn Hughes. He is one of the elite players already in the league, but the Canucks are struggling this season, and a rebuild seemed like a foregone conclusion.
If Hughes was going to be traded, the assumption was that he would end up with the New Jersey Devils. The reason being that Quinn's two brothers, Jake and Luke, are currently members of the Devils and Quinn made it clear he wants to play with them at some point.
New Jersey Devils reportedly made a strong offer for Quinn Hughes and would have been a nightmare for the Buffalo Sabres
According to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun, the New Jersey Devils made an offer for Quinn Hughes that they felt were a strong first offer. However, the Minnesota Wild made an offer that was going to be tough to beat.
Hearing the New Jersey Devils made what they feel was a strong first offer to Vancouver on Quinn Hughes but it didn’t generate enough traction obviously
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) December 13, 2025
The Buffalo Sabres have to be breathing a sigh of relief that the Devils didn't match or beat the Minnesota Wild's offer. While they are currently in last place in the Eastern Conference, if they hope to get back in the Wild Card race, they will likely be competing with the Devils for one of those spots.
Entering Friday night, the Devils had 35 points and were tied in points with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Montreal Canadiens for that final Wild Card spot. The Buffalo Sabres are not too far back, even though they are last in the conference, with 30 points.
While the trade to the Minnesota Wild doesn't mean that one day Quinn Hughes won't be playing on the New Jersey Devils with his brothers but for now, the Buffalo Sabres know it won't be for another few seasons.