Bob Frid-Imagn ImagesNew Jersey Hockey NowSun, November 23, 2025 at 3:58 PM UTC·2 min readThere’s no doubt the New Jersey Devils have needs. Needs that they’ll need to look for externally. For starters, a third-line center is vital. Perhaps, even a top-six forward. However, Quinn Hughes could fix everything.
NJ.com Devils reporter, Ryan Novozinsky, joined James Nichols on the latest Devils Rink Report to discuss New Jersey’s trade deadline approach once the lineup is fully healthy, and while he sees real options in-house, a couple of dream additions still dominate the conversation.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“When everyone’s back… I just like the way Arseny Gritsyuk’s game has evolved,” Novozinsky said. “We always talk about ‘We have McDonald’s at home.’ We have a top-six scoring wing at home in Arseny right now.”
Gritsyuk’s rapid ascent has given the Devils flexibility.
“The Devils have been bullish since the preseason about Gritsyuk,” Novozinsky explained. “They wanted him to move into the top six super quick, and all it took was a couple injuries, and it finally happened just weeks into the season… He’s been awesome. The fact that he’s proven everything else in his game should alleviate any pressure… When Jack gets back, they can just say, ‘Shoot away. Shoot-first mindset, give him the green light.’”
That insurance policy changes the deadline calculus, but Novozinsky still circled two potential “luxury items.”
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementFirst, the one that made the internet explode:
“Having Quinn Hughes… I have to give a shout-out [one fan on X], who had a great tweet… ‘This, without exaggeration, would fix everything.’ And I agree. Forget defensive lapses, forget whatever. If you have three Hughes in the lineup, you’re not gonna have to worry about it, because you’re always gonna have the puck… You won’t even care about the giveaways at that point.”
Everyone, except perhaps Vancouver Canucks fans, wants to see Quinn play with Jack Hughes and Luke Hughes. However, if that’s too complicated of a trade in-season, a more conventional target should suffice:
“Go get one of those luxury items… whether that’s Quinn or a top-six scoring wing.”
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementEven without a blockbuster, Novozinsky believes the current group can compete.
“I think between [Gritsyuk] and shoring up that top six, or getting a 3C and maybe another defensive-minded defenseman in the mix… you can stay afloat because of how much parity there is in the league this year.”
Translation from Novozinsky: Arseny Gritsyuk has earned the right to be the in-house top-six solution, but if Tom Fitzgerald wants to swing big via Devils trade, a third Hughes brother or an established scoring winger would turn a very good team into an outright juggernaut.
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