All three Hughes brothers playing on the same team?

Photo courtesy of Jenn G / Wikimedia Commons

With Jack and Luke Hughes already thriving in New Jersey, and Quinn inching closer to free agency, the dream of a Hughes brothers reunion on the Devils’ blue line is starting to feel less like fantasy.

For one player to make it to the National Hockey League (NHL) and find success is rare– now multiply that by three. The Hughes brothers have been NHL sensations since the oldest was drafted in 2018. Defenseman Quinn Hughes was drafted seventh overall in 2018, center Jack Hughes was drafted first overall in 2019, and defenseman Luke Hughes was drafted fourth overall in 2021.

Together, the brothers have accumulated hundreds of games played and numerous accolades, quickly becoming cornerstones of their respective franchises. Quinn is a dynamic, two-way game defenseman, reigning Norris Trophy winner, and the captain of the Vancouver Canucks at just 25 years old. On the other hand, Jack is a high-scoring forward who has become the face of the New Jersey Devils and essentially, the league itself. Lastly, Luke has already shown poise and promise on the Devil’s blue line.

All three brothers have spoken about their end goal of playing for the same team together. While it might have seemed like a pipe dream a couple of years ago, it could become a reality. Quinn has two years left on his contract with the Canucks, and if he does not sign an extension, he will be an unrestricted free agent (UFA) at age 27. Becoming a UFA opens up the possibility of the New Jersey Devils picking up Quinn Hughes and signing him.

Now the real question is why does New Jersey make more sense for all three Hughes brothers over Vancouver? The answer is simple— two of the three are already there, and for good reason. Jack signed an eight-year extension contract, so he will be in New Jersey through 2030. Plus, after this season, Luke Hughes will be a restricted free agent, so the Devils’ will still hold onto his rights, and his ability to be traded is limited.

The other notable thing is that the New Jersey Devils will be able to clear up enough cap space to make a trade like this even work. Another plus is that they would only have to wait two years to sign Quinn, unlike the Canucks with the other two brothers. The Devils can clear up to 13 million dollars in cap space with defensemen Dougie Hamilton and Brenden Dillon's expiring contracts.

In New Jersey, Quinn would be adding a much-needed defensive edge to a team that has offensive firepower but struggles with consistency on the back end. They have pretty decent defensemen in Dougie Hamilton, Brenden Dillon, Luke Hughes, and Jonas Siegenthaler, but adding Quinn Hughes to that blue line would help immensely. His skating, vision, and ability to transition the puck would complement his brother Luke’s style and provide the stabilization the Devils’ defense needs to push them into a deep playoff run.

While all of this sounds grand, the likelihood of this happening is pretty slim. The Canucks organization would surely fall with the loss of a franchise player like Quinn Hughes. Canucks president Jim Rutherford acknowledged the situation, saying, “It may not boil down to money with him. He has said before he wants to play with his brothers. That would be partly out of our control. In our control if we brought his brothers here.”

At the end of the day, the dream of all three Hughes brothers suiting up in the same uniform in the NHL may remain just that— a dream; but the pieces are already starting to align in a way that makes the possibility more realistic than ever before. Whether it happens through a bold trade or a long-game free agency move, the prospect of the same-team Hughes trifecta electrifies fans and the league alike.