It’s been a few days, but the Quinn Hughes trade has taken a while to settle in. The Minnesota Wild came out of nowhere to swing a blockbuster move and set the NHL trade machine rolling, pulling off a deal that has since sent shockwaves across the NHL.
Hughes, arguably the most talented player to pull on a Vancouver Canucks shirt, is now officially a part of a team that has its Stanley Cup contention window wide open. But the Wild weren’t the only suitors in the race for the All-Star defenseman. Rumor has it that the Philadelphia Flyers were among the five teams that tried and failed to swing a move for the former Canucks captain.
Flyers HC Puts Quinn Hughes Trade Rumors in the Rearview Mirror
The New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, Carolina Hurricanes, and Flyers were reportedly among the teams in the mix for Hughes.
Hughes reportedly made it clear to the Canucks front office that he would not be open to extending his contract with the franchise, ostensibly forcing the team’s hand into entertaining offers. The Minnesota Wild had one that blew their competitors out of the water.
Speaking on the Donnie and Dhali podcast in the aftermath of the Hughes trade, Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet put his cards on the table.
“He changes analytics for your team. If you’re an average rush team or you’re an average possession team, you acquire him, all of a sudden, you become one of the top teams. That’s why there’s a lot of noise around him,” Tocchet said.
“He’s such a great player. The guy wants to win. He loves the U.S., played for the U.S. Olympic team, so there’s a lot of moving parts. It’s unfortunate, but I think both parties are going to win on this.”
Speaking on the rumors that Philly tried and failed to swing a move for Hughes, Tocchet said, “We’ve had a lot of talks about the future, his future, and my future. He just wants to come in there and do his part to win. You gotta zig and zag at certain times in your career. Whatever he felt at that time, that’s what he did.”
“When a player like that comes up, you make a phone call. I don’t know the offer, if there was one. But definitely people check in. A caliber of player like that, you have to.”
“It’s unfortunate, but I think both parties are gonna win on this, I really do..”@NHLFlyers Head Coach Rick Tocchet reacted to the Quinn Hughes trade and whether it factored into his departure from Vancouver.
Full interview posted soon.https://t.co/h4e2SKM7eJ pic.twitter.com/iDoLEImPfn
— Donnie & Dhali (@DonnieandDhali) December 15, 2025
Hughes certainly made a statement on his debut for his new franchise. The Wild beat the Boston Bruins 6-2 on Sunday, racking up a fourth straight win.
ALSO READ: Quinn Hughes Reveals When He Knew the End Was Near For Canucks Tenure
Hughes was in the thick of things, scoring on his debut, as Kirill Kaprizov added two goals and an assist to send a signal to the rest of the league that Minnesota is a force to be reckoned with. The Wild will now host the Washington Capitals on Tuesday as they seek a fifth consecutive win.
