Detroit Red Wings were in on Quinn Hughes. Here's why they balked

CHICAGO — The Detroit Red Wings were in on Quinn Hughes, but ultimately balked for one major reason.

That the 2024 Norris Trophy winner and former Michigan star would have looked good in red and white – "He is one of the special players in the league that can, you know, take over a game individually," fellow American Patrick Kane said - is indisputable. The Wings just saw the defenseman earlier on this trip, on Dec. 8 while Hughes was still with the Vancouver Canucks . But on Friday, Hughes was traded to the Minnesota Wild for a big return: Marco Rossi, Zeev Buium and Liam Öhgren – all recent first-round draft picks – and a 2026 first-round pick.