Rumour suggests that there could be a blockbuster deal in the works involving Quinn Hughes

This week, a popular rumour site has suggested that the New Jersey Devils have held significant trade discussions regarding Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes. Normally, this isn't something anyone would put much stock into, but when you consider who else resides in New Jersey, it does make some sense.

The Devils already have Jack Hughes and Luke Hughes in the fold, so it does make some sense for the organization to also be targeting their elder brother, Quinn. The Hughes brothers are all close and with Quinn and Jack sitting beside Luke when he was drafted by the Devils a couple of summers back, you sort of got the sense that they'd all like to have the unique opportunity to play together at the NHL level, if it's in the cards.

With the Canucks still a middling team, bordering on a basement dweller, perhaps it would make some sense for them to embark upon a top to bottom rebuild. The first time around, it didn't go so well. Yes, they have Elias Pettersson, Quinn Hughes and Thatcher Demko, but it hasn't resulted in much success and clearly the room is divided.

The Devils would be one of the few teams who would actually have the right pieces to make a deal involving Hughes, owning their next 3 first round picks, as well as a number of intriguing prospects, which could accelerate a rebuild in Vancouver, but also put the Devils in a great position to win now, at the very beginning of their contention window.

No actual names were tossed around in the rumour aside from Quinn Hughes, but I'd imagine that the Canucks might have interest in a player like Dawson Mercer or another top prospect like Alexander Holtz. If it's a defenseman they're after, the Devils have a potential franchise defenseman in Simon Nemec in their pipeline as well. That's not to say that any of these players would be involved - it's just to show that the Devils certainly have the pieces to make a bold move if they wanted to.

We have heard Hughes' name pop up in the past when it comes to the Canucks and what they might do if they decided to make major roster alterations, so this one isn't completely out of the realm of possibility. However, until a more credible source comes out and suggests something similar, this one may just be a fleeting thought.