Quinn Hughes (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
As of now, Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins fans shouldn’t get their hopes up that their teams will make a serious push to acquire Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes.
NHL trade rumors on which teams will become serious players in the expected trade sweepstakes for Hughes continued to swirl this week. The New Jersey Devils and Detroit Red Wings remain the most mentioned teams as NHL trade destinations for the 2024 Norris Trophy winner, with one well-placed source insisting to RG that the Red Wings are the best-positioned to acquire Hughes.
Bruins Shifting Focus Elsewhere
One team RG has confirmed won’t be pursuing Hughes right now, though, is the Bruins. According to this source, the surprising Bruins just don’t see themselves as a solid fit and are more focused on making a significant upgrade to their forward group.
“They’re not going to go after Hughes,” the source told RG.
“They’ve got a stud in McAvoy, and they’re still really focused on getting scoring help up front. They’ve been looking hard for a scoring forward, and that will keep going, but they know they don’t have the assets for Hughes, and that’s not their focus. It’s just not a match right now for Hughes.”
McAvoy, 27, has 14 assists in 19 games this season. The 14th overall pick from the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, who has already been named to the 2026 USA Men’s Olympic team, has missed the last 10 games due to a facial fracture he suffered from a puck to the face in Montreal on Nov. 15. McAvoy is in the fourth year of an eight-year, $76 million ($9.5M AAV) contract. McAvoy has 60 goals and 254 assists in 523 NHL games.
Hughes, 24, is in the fifth year of a six-year, $47.1 million ($7.8M AAV) contract. Like McAvoy, Hughes has already been named to the Team USA roster. The seventh overall pick from the 2018 NHL Entry Draft has two goals and 20 assists in 25 games this season. Hughes has 61 goals and 370 assists in 468 games.
Penguins Honing in on Rebuild
Earlier this week, there was some chatter that the Pittsburgh Penguins, given their arsenal of high-end prospects, some of whom are already playing in either the AHL or NHL, could jump into the mix as a major player for Hughes. Sportsnet NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman suggested the Penguins could pull off a Hughes trade during his Monday radio hit on the Fan 590 Hockey Show in Toronto.
“You know, I’ll tell you this, nobody’s talked about them yet, but who I think could do it is Pittsburgh,” Friedman opined.
“Like, think about it, look at them. Would he want to do that? I have no idea. But I was sitting down the other day, and I was going through my list of teams and who would have pieces that Vancouver might want, and again, I don’t know what he wants to do, but Pittsburgh was a team, like they’re not incapable of doing this.”
While Friedman is correct in pointing out that the Penguins have the potential assets to pull off a trade for Hughes, another NHL source told RG that, at this point, that’s not the plan in Pittsburgh.
“They’re not going after him right now,” the source said of the Penguins and Hughes. “Kyle [Dubas] has built a stable of prospects. Some – Ben Kindel and Harrison Brunicke – are arriving maybe earlier than expected, and others are on the way, but that’s not going to change Kyle’s plan. Neither will their place in the standings. They will add for sure if they’re still in contention later, but they’re still in a rebuild, and to be honest, it’s not a fit for what Hughes wants either.”
The 18-year-old Kindle, who the Penguins drafted 11th overall at the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, has been a revelation for the Penguins with seven goals and three assists in 25 games.
Brunicke has one goal in nine NHL games and three assists in five games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the AHL. It should be noted that due to an injury, the 19-year-old rearguard hasn’t played an NHL game since November 3 and just started playing again in the AHL.
