Elliotte Friedman clarifies report on Quinn Hughes asking for a trade out of Vancouver
Photo credit: Edit from The Hockey News
NHL insider Elliotte Friedman clarified some conflicting reports on Quinn Hughes having reportedly asked for a trade out of Vancouver.
Quinn Hughes' future in Vancouver was in doubt long before the Canucks decided to trade their captain.
As Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported on Hockey Night in Canada, Hughes told the Canucks just before American Thanksgiving that he would not be signing an extension this summer.
While such an attitude did not necessarily mean a trade at that moment, it certainly changed the dynamic of the situation for Vancouver.
The Canucks dealt their leading blueliner to the Minnesota Wild on Friday in exchange for blueliner Zeev Buium, forwards Marco Rossi and Liam Ohgren, and a first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.
What affected Quinn Hughes wanting out of Vancouver
Vancouver sat last in the league with an 11-17-3 record at the time of the trade and had lost six of their last eight games, which Friedman stated affected Hughes badly.
Friedman also learned that Hughes had asked for a trade last week. Even after the trade took place, this information was denied to him. However, based on how Hughes handled this in public, Friedman believes it is likely simply a matter of semantics.
"I heard last week that Hughes asked for a trade. Even after the trade happened that was denied to me. If you saw Hughes talk it's very clear we're dealing in some level of semantics."
- Elliotte Friedman
- Elliotte Friedman
Why many teams were scared off of trading for Quinn Hughes
The hesitance of Hughes to make a long-term commitment allegedly scared off a handful of other teams.
As reported by Friedman, with the exception of the Wild and the New Jersey Devils, all other teams were not ready to move forward due to this uncertainty.
Hughes completes his stint with Vancouver with two goals and 21 assists in 26 games this season. He accumulated 432 points in 459 games with the Canucks and moved above Alex Edler to become the team's leading-scoring defenceman.
Previously on HockeyLatest
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 15 | 237 ANSWERS Elliotte Friedman clarifies report on Quinn Hughes asking for a trade out of Vancouver Do you believe Quinn Hughes asked for a trade? | ||
| Yes | 207 | 87.3 % |
| No | 30 | 12.7 % |
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