Sorry Vancouver, You’re Not Getting Jesper Bratt For Quinn Hughes

I have to ask these questions before we start this week.

Is Canada some sort of fantasy land where people just say things and expect it to come to fruition?

Do Canadian NHL front offices, media, and fanbases think all of the teams, fanbases, and media of teams from ‘The States” or “Down South” were born yesterday? Or that they have no concept of value, or leverage, or anything else for that matter pertaining to trades.

It’s something that I’ve touched on in the past when the seemingly never-ending “Josh Anderson to the Devils” trade rumors that would always surface with anyone and everyone from Alexander Holtz to Luke Hughes to Simon Nemec to Dawson Mercer heading from the Devils to the Canadiens in exchange for the overpaid fourth liner. It never made any sense then thanks in part to Anderson’s bloated contract and the fact that he’s simply not very good and certainly wasn’t good enough to fetch that kind of return. Fortunately, those so-called rumors floated out there by a Montreal media group that was more or less wishcasting and carrying water for Habs management have more or less died out as time has gone on and we’ve since moved on with our lives.

Unfortunately, it would appear that regardless of where you go in Canada, people are just as delusional as their media brethren in Quebec.

From Sportsnet 590 The Fan in Toronto.

If you’re not so inclined to give that a click (or the tweet doesn’t display properly for whatever reason), here’s the cliffnotes version.

David Amber, the studio host for Hockey Night in Canada, joined Nick Kypreos and Justin Bourne on their show “Real Kyper and Bourne” on SportsNet. When asked about the Canucks situation with them being willing to trade veteran players, Amber suggested a trade involving Jesper Bratt and Simon Nemec to Vancouver for Quinn Hughes. The hosts replied that the Devils should also be giving two first round picks on top of that.

I mean, where do we even start here?

I think there’s a worthwhile conversation as to whether or not Simon Nemec could or should be part of such a deal. After all, he’s just now beginning to scratch the surface of what he might potentially be as an NHL player. He’s a right-handed defenseman who may or may not be an elite offensive producer but he’s not a nothing in that area either, playing nearly 20 minutes a night in his third NHL season. Even knowing he’ll need a new contract after this season, he would be a valuable piece to get back in any trade. I said last week that I’m not giving up that guy easily in any trade, and I mean that. But I do think it’s at least a conversation worth having in a potential Quinn Hughes trade.

But Jesper Bratt?

Let me stop you right there.

The Canucks are a dumpster fire of an organization right now. They’re doing everything that they can to avoid using the word “rebuild”, never mind actually committing to doing one. They made a bunch of short-sighted moves in an attempt to be competitive this season to try to show Quinn Hughes that they’re close to winning. Predictably, those moves haven’t worked, and they’re already looking to pivot by selling off veterans.

But again, what does that even mean when they have 7 guys with NMCs (not including Conor Garland and Thatcher Demko, whose NMCs kicks in next season when their extensions kick in). Yes, the Canucks should get what they can for guys like Evander Kane, Teddy Blueger, Kiefer Sherwood, and Derek Forbort, but none of those guys really moves the needle all that much by themselves. I wouldn’t want to be the team to overpay for Sherwood in a trade in a season where he’s shooting 24% just because he’s a “big, strong winger” who “plays the game the right way” and has a cheap, albeit expiring contract. But I digress.

Does anyone in their right mind think that Jesper Bratt, with his own NMC, sees what’s going on in Vancouver from afar and is saying to himself “You know what, that sounds great. I can’t wait to join a bad Canucks team that won’t have Quinn Hughes. Sign me up.”

There’s no chance that happens. It’s the type of dumb suggestion that appears on HFBoards trade proposals but aren’t based in reality. It’s the type of trade proposal that really shouldn’t even warrant a response, but at some point when you keep seeing suggestions like that haphazardly being thrown out there, eventually something needs to be said.

There’s also no chance that the Canucks, who just like every other team is looking for a Top Six center, is getting Nico Hischier. Obviously, they’re not getting Jack or Luke Hughes either for obvious reasons.

We’ve talked about this before when the topic of trading for Quinn Hughes has come up. The Canucks have some leverage in the sense that they don’t have to trade him to New Jersey. As I’ve said before, they should do what’s best for them when it comes to a return and get as much for a perennial Norris Trophy contender as they can. Having a Quinn Hughes for two playoff runs is inherently valuable, even as an extended rental. Even knowing that he’s probably not going to stay wherever he winds up. Whether or not New Jersey is that team is a whole other argument.

That said, you don’t really have as much leverage as you seem to think. Especially when everyone seems to know where this is ultimately heading. The worst kept secret in the league is that Quinn wants to play with his brothers. His brothers are both signed long-term in New Jersey. Quinn hasn’t said publicly that he’s not going to re-sign in Vancouver, but let’s be real, he’s not re-signing in Vancouver.

I don’t know what a Devils trade package for Quinn Hughes would even look like. I do think there are complicating factors that have to be considered like moving out salary (the cap is fake but its only so fake), and I have my doubts that players like Dougie Hamilton or Ondrej Palat with no-trade protection would be all that enthralled with the idea of going to Vancouver either. And this is assuming Vancouver doesn’t continue to be delusional and continue to hold on to Quinn through the end of this season. At the end of the day, its probably easier for Jim Rutherford and Patrik Allvin to sell the argument that “See, we tried, but Quinn Hughes never wanted to be here” than a rebuild, and Vancouver is exactly the type of organization that would pursue short-sighted PR wins like that rather than the hard work and hard truths that leads to playoff wins.

What I do know is that hoping and wishing you’re getting a Jesper Bratt or Nico Hischier back in this situation is exactly that. It’s hoping. It’s wishing.

At best, a trade return from the Devils might look something similar to what the Sharks got for Timo Meier, a quantity over quality trade. The 2026 equivalent of that is probably something along the lines of a guaranteed 1st round pick, another pick that could become a first if the Devils reached a conference final, Anton Silayev, Seamus Casey, Lenni Hameenaho, and maybe an NHL roster player like Stefan Noesen with limited trade protection to help offset some of the money. Or maybe instead of Noesen, the Devils loop in a third team and pay someone to take Palat off of their hands. But that’s probably within the ballpark of what you’re looking at.

Now, another team could and probably should be able to easily top that package. But if you’re Tom Fitzgerald and you know you can probably get Quinn Hughes as a UFA in 2027, you can also call Vancouver’s bluff and say take it or leave it. The Devils could just as easily turn around and trade some of what I just listed for the 3C or scoring winger that they’re currently lacking. As nice as having a Quinn Hughes would be, you don’t necessarily have to go and get him right this second.

At the end of the day, I don’t really care if the Canucks maximize value for Quinn Hughes. I’m not a Canucks fan so its no skin off my back if they continue to mismanage this situation and fumble the bag. I think the fact that Vancouver entered this season with Hughes reduced what they could command in a potential trade because there wasn’t anything they realistically could’ve done to compete for a Stanley Cup. All they accomplished was starting the clock when it comes to Quinn Hughes eventually reaching that proverbial “s— or get off the pot” moment. We’re inching closer to Quinn telling the Canucks that he’s not going to stay and sending the Vancouver media into a panic. It would be in their best interests to see the writing on the wall and make the tough trade, and the Devils are an obvious trade partner given his two brothers are also on the roster.

That said, if you’re going to make the obvious connection with the Devils, the least you can do is operate with some sense of reality. You’re not going to get a Jesper Bratt when he has all the power in the world to say no. You’re not getting the Devils captain back when they’re already down a center with Jack Hughes out. Maybe you can get a Simon Nemec back, but if I’m Tom Fitzgerald, I’m exploring every avenue when it comes to trading a Dougie Hamilton or Johnathan Kovacevic to clean up my RHD logjam before I’m giving up Nemec. I’m trading something closer to what I wrote about in that quantity over quality package.

As I said, Vancouver still has some leverage. They don’t simply have to take the Devils offer just because its there. They can shop Quinn around. They SHOULD shop Quinn around and do what they can to maximize a return. There will be a contender who will sign up for Quinn Hughes as their #1 defenseman for two playoff runs and worry about his free agency in 2027 when it comes. If a potential playoff team like Carolina or Detroit blows the Canucks away with an offer, they’d be smart to take it, but I doubt their offers will be all that much better than the Devils unless they’re blowing up their roster in the process, and I’m sure the same Canadian talking heads will wish for Lucas Raymond or Mo Seider or Seth Jarvis as the centerpiece of said return as much as they are with Jesper Bratt.

Sorry Vancouver. It ain’t happening.