- Kevin Kurz reported the Flyers asked about Quinn Hughes last season and were told Vancouver had no interest
- Hughes still has no extension in Minnesota and may prefer to play out his career in the East
- Read below for how Rick Tocchet, Trevor Zegras and a three-year deal put Philadelphia back in the picture
The Flyers already took their swing at Quinn Hughes. They never got past the front door.
Kevin Kurz of The Athletic wrote Friday that Philadelphia asked Vancouver about Hughes last season, before the Canucks moved him to Minnesota, and was told he was not available. Kurz also told Flyers fans to keep watching what happens with the Wild between now and the deadline.
A reader asked Kurz to rank the odds on five stars landing in Philadelphia over the next year. He put Hughes at the top and explained why the fit keeps coming up:
“Hughes had a great relationship with Philadelphia Flyers coach Rick Tocchet in Vancouver and is good friends with Trevor Zegras. The Flyers were interested in Hughes last season before he was dealt to the Minnesota Wild but were informed the Vancouver Canucks had no interest in moving him here.”
Hughes is 26 and heading into the final year of his contract with no extension signed. Wild GM Bill Guerin was asked on KFAN last week where the talks stand, and he described a relationship that is healthy and a deal that still is not done.
Term is the piece that would make a trade work. Kurz figures a three-year extension would sit fine with Philadelphia, because it would take Hughes to unrestricted free agency in 2030, the same summer his brother Jack hits the market in New Jersey.
Nobody has to guess whether Daniel Briere will chase a star. He handed Leo Carlsson an offer sheet that briefly made him the highest-paid player in the league.
Zach Werenski got a call from Philadelphia too, before he patched things up in Columbus.
In the same mailbag, Kurz says the Flyers rang Detroit about Dylan Larkin once his trade request went public and were told they were not on his list of destinations.
So Philadelphia has the cap room, the coach Hughes already played for and a friend in the room. What it does not have is a seller. Training camp opens Sept. 17.
