“The chance to win was the most attractive,” a grinning Matthew Tkachuk told Sportsnet in 2022 about what prompted him to want to leave Calgary for Florida. As fate would have it, the gamble paid off in ways Tkachuk would have imagined. Two back-to-back Stanley Cup victories and countless memories with the Panthers later, the scintillating NHL forward is now a certified legend in Sunrise, Florida. But could Quinn Hughes also be en route to pulling off a “Chucky”?
The 15th captain of the Vancouver Canucks finished the 2024-25 season with 76 points in 68 games. And yet, the James Norris Memorial Trophy-winning defenseman’s future with his current team continues to be the recent talk of the town in the hockey community, despite Hughes still having two years of his contract remaining. However, when free agency hits in 2027, one NHL insider posits, the Canucks would do better to hold on to their star defenseman, least he doesn’t return to haunt them like Tkachuk did the Flames.
NHL Rumour Report hit X on July 10 to share what Greg Wyshynski has to say on the Quinn Hughes matter. The social media update quoted the hockey insider’s words from The Big Show: “Greg Wyshynski: Re Quinn Hughes: It’d be insane to let him walk; you could see the situation becoming like a Matthew Tkachuk, where…you know where it’s all headed…” Instead, Greg noted, the Canucks should try to find a way to retain the blueline star.
“…make a deal before he leaves for nothing; it kind of feels like it’s trending that direction,” Wyshynski was quoted as saying in the X post. His stand on the matter is pretty justified. As stated above, Hughes had a belter of a season, almost the same as Tkachuk before he headed to Miami from Calgary. In his last season with the Flames, the winger posted 104 points, making his trade to the Panthers all the more sensational. With that in mind, Greg would seem correct in his hopes of seeing Vancouver whipping out a deal to ensure Hughes sticks around for a while longer.
Greg Wyshynski: Re Quinn Hughes: It’d be insane to let him walk; you could see the situation becoming like a Matthew Tkachuk, where…you know where it’s all headed…and make a deal before he leaves for nothing; it kind of feels like it’s trending that direction – Big Show
— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) July 10, 2025
However, with the kind of statements the Canucks’ President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford made in May, Wyshynski’s advise could be falling onto deaf words. During an appearance on 100% Hockey with Millard & Shannon, Rutherford said about Hughes’ future trade possibilities, “ I’ll say the obvious. He’s a wonderful person and a great player, but we do control him for two more years…if we get to that trade deadline two years from now, and it looks like he doesn’t want to stay then, then we would have to do something at that point.” However, the Canucks’ top man also noted that Quinn Hughes is the face of the franchise and the team would like nothing more than to have him around for another stint together.
Hughes carries a $7.85 million cap hit in his current 6-year contract with the Canucks. After two years, considering he continues with his current form, the 25-year-old could easily demand a higher salary. However, there are also other things that could influence his decision to continue in Vancouver. As per many rumors, Quinn is eager to head to New Jersey in order to be able to play for the Devils alongside his brothers, Luke and Jack. But Wyshynski isn’t so sure about it.
“We’ve gone down this road in the past of just assuming a guy wants to play in the States or with a sibling; we ultimately don’t know what Quinn feeling about the organization or the city is, he might have a different idea than we do,” the hockey expert said while on The Big Show.
But while we wait to see how things turn out for Hughes and the Canucks, one thing is for sure. If, by any chance, the blue line celebrity is eyeing to pull a Chucky, the thought of attaining success with a new camp might not be entirely absent from Quinn’s mind.
Quinn Hughes could easily follow in Tkachuk’s footsteps
“There’s no single reason why I left at the end of the day,” Tkachuk claimed that it was a combination of many things that prompted him to seek a new squad. However, we do suspect that the fat purse the Panthers waved did help to make the decision easier for Matthew. In 2022, Tkachuk signed a massive 8-year $76 million contract with the Cats, which would keep him in Sunrise all the way through 2030. But GM Bill Zito knew it was going to be an investment that would pay off.
Jun 10, 2024; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk (19) skates with the puck against Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid (97) during the third period in game two of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
“Matthew is a tenacious, physical competitor who possesses a tremendously unique skillset. He is a consistent elite offensive contributor and has emerged as one of the most complete and dynamic young players in the National Hockey League. We are thrilled to be able to add a generational talent to our lineup,” said Zito about the addition of Tkachuk to the roster. That faith in the winger did show its results. In his first season with the Cats, Tkachuk posted 109 points and has helped the team reach the Stanley Cup Finals thrice in a row in his four years of representing the South Florida squad.
While Chucky missed out on a large portion of the 2024-25 season due to injuries, he made up for it in style with 23 points in 23 playoff games. And he did that while battling physical challenges. For understandable reasons, coach Paul Maurice couldn’t be prouder of his star forward. Tkachuk, too, seems to have eased into his Panthers shoes brilliantly.
Now, he’s even helping others to get adjusted to the team as they head over from other camps. With his incredible form over the last four years, it suffices to say that Matthew and the Panthers have forged a bond for years to come. Do you think that Quinn Hughes could be hoping to pull off something similar amidst rising tensions with the Flames? How do you think the blueliner could be trying to cope? Tell us below!
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