{"id":317424,"date":"2025-12-01T00:50:17","date_gmt":"2025-12-01T00:50:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/317424\/"},"modified":"2025-12-01T00:50:17","modified_gmt":"2025-12-01T00:50:17","slug":"im-doing-it-scribe-on-maple-leafs-trading-future-star-in-quinn-hughes-deal-the-hockey-writers-toronto-maple-leafs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/317424\/","title":{"rendered":"“I\u2019m Doing It”: Scribe on Maple Leafs Trading Future Star in Quinn Hughes Deal – The Hockey Writers – Toronto Maple Leafs"},"content":{"rendered":"

In another world, where the Toronto Maple Leafs have 30 points and are playoff contenders, looking to capitalize on a window to win, does the organization take a run at a generational defenseman that could put them over the top? One host and analyst thinks so, arguing that he would trade just about anything, including Matthew Knies<\/a>, to acquire Quinn Hughes<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Talk about whether the Vancouver Canucks will eventually trade Hughes\u00a0is everywhere these days. The Canucks have told 31 other teams they are open to moving veterans and are making pending UFAs available via trade. To this point, that doesn\u2019t include Hughes. <\/p>\n

However, he remains the big name, and the talking point around him is that he looks unhappy. Despite saying he\u2019s committed to the team, it appears he\u2019s moving on at some point. Perhaps the Canucks should get the most they can, while he can fetch a massive return. <\/p>\n

Would The Maple Leafs Be Interested?<\/p>\n

Who\u2019s kidding whom?\u00a0If Hughes becomes available, the Leafs will make a call to find out the asking price. And Bryan Hayes noted recently that if that price is Matthew Knies, he\u2019s doing it. <\/p>\n

Should Toronto get two possible playoff runs out of Hughes \u2014 even if he eventually makes his way to New Jersey as a free agent to play with his brothers \u2014 Hughes is such a difference-maker, the Maple Leafs have to consider the trade. Hayes even said he\u2019s throwing in picks and whatever else is required to acquire the second-best defensman in the world. <\/p>\n

Hayes said<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s say the Leafs are really rocking right now, and it\u2019s going to cost you Matthew Knies, I\u2019m doing it, that\u2019s what I\u2019m telling you. I\u2019m doing that, plus the picks and the prospects, like, that\u2019s how good Quinn Hughes is.\u201d<\/p>\n

Why Quinn Hughes Would Be A Risk For the Maple Leafs<\/p>\n

Hayes is suggesting the Leafs move on from arguably their best young forward. And, he\u2019s suggesting they do so, even if they know that Hughes is ultimately not re-signing in Toronto. That makes any theorized deal all about how good Toronto thinks they can be with Hughes and without Knies over the next two seasons.<\/p>\n

\"QuinnQuinn Hughes, Vancouver Canucks (Steve Roberts-Imagn Images)<\/p>\n

It might not look like it so far this season, but the Maple Leafs\u2019 window to win is now with\u00a0Auston Matthews\u00a0and\u00a0William Nylander\u00a0in their prime. In fact, that window is closing fast and if the team doesn\u2019t push this season and next, they might be looking at starting over. <\/p>\n

How much of an impact can Hughes make with this roster? That\u2019s the real question. <\/p>\n

\"SUBSCRIBE<\/a><\/p>\n

If you were to describe the ideal fit, Hughes is it. Whether moving on from Knies to get what you need is the right play would be heavily debated. Getting Hughes would be huge. Losing Knies means immediately looking for another player to do what he does and at the same or a lower price. That\u2019s no easy task, given how much the salary cap is rising and with what good forwards are commanding. <\/p>\n

Winning is the priority, but at what cost? Hughes is a long-term rental, probably nothing more. Hayes is behind the idea that you do what you have to, but is he right? <\/p>\n

There\u2019s no indication a Hughes trade is close. There\u2019s no sign that the Maple Leafs have eyes on him. But, if the opportunity fell into their lap, does GM Brad Treliving do whatever it takes to make that possibilty a reality?<\/p>\n

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<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In another world, where the Toronto Maple Leafs have 30 points and are playoff contenders, looking to capitalize…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":94156,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[49,48,46787,12430,82],"class_list":{"0":"post-317424","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-matthew-knies","11":"tag-quinn-hughes","12":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/317424","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=317424"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/317424\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/94156"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=317424"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=317424"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=317424"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}