THE JOKES ARE easy enough to make between “old man” Haynes King and his position coach, the oldest man to ever win the Heisman Trophy.

Twenty-five years ago, when Chris Weinke took home the award as a 28-year-old senior, his age became a nonstop topic of conversation. Today, older quarterbacks dot the college football landscape, their advanced ages met with a collective shrug.

“Sometimes I try and mess with him and say, ‘I couldn’t quite catch you on the age, but I tried. I gave it my all,” the 24-year-old King said of Weinke, his quarterbacks coach at Georgia Tech.

Older players have been normalized, thanks to the transfer portal and the pandemic, which granted freshmen an extra year of eligibility if they wanted it. Nearly 40 quarterbacks from the 2020 class came back this year for one more season at the FBS level. Plus, with NIL and revenue sharing, some quarterbacks are opting to stay in college as opposed to leaving school for the NFL draft. And sixth-year quarterbacks like King and Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia entered the Heisman conversation this year. (Pavia was named a finalist.) Still, if more quarterbacks are 24 years old these days, nobody is quite as aged as Weinke was when he played.

“The landscape of college football has obviously changed,” Weinke says. “But that was a point of contention when I won it. When I walked into the room that evening when they were making the Heisman announcement, I didn’t think I was going to win it, because there was so much chatter that I didn’t deserve to win it because I was older.

“But I’ve got it now, and they can’t take it away.”

Perhaps the conversation around what Weinke did in 2000 at Florida State should be reframed. What made that season so remarkable had nothing to do with age, and everything to do with how he turned himself into a star after his college football career nearly ended. Twice.

FLORIDA STATE OFFENSIVE coordinator Mark Richt was sitting in his office in 1996, when then-coach Bobby Bowden came in with some news. At the time, Richt was closing in on getting a commitment from the top quarterback prospect in the country, Drew Henson. That is, until Bowden told him about a promise he had made to Weinke six years earlier.

Weinke had initially signed with the Seminoles in 1990, joining a quarterback room that included Brad Johnson, Casey Weldon and fellow freshman Charlie Ward. But he also had a lucrative offer to play baseball with the Toronto Blue Jays organization, after being selected in the second round of the MLB draft. Weinke had until classes started in late August to decide which sport he was going to play, so he opted to begin fall practice with Florida State while weighing his options.

He went through fall two-a-days, and with decision day closing in, Richt remembers one quarterback meeting in particular. To make sure his quarterbacks understood what he was teaching them, he would ask them questions.

Richt turned to Weinke as they watched tape and asked, “What coverage is this on this play?”

“Cover 3?” Weinke guessed.

“No.”

“Cover 1?

“No. It’s quarters coverage,” Richt said.

Weinke responded: “Whatever.”

“That was the day before school started,” Richt said. “I said, ‘I got a feeling this kid is going to leave and play pro baseball.'”

Sure enough, Weinke left. But Bowden told him if he ever decided to return to football, he would have a spot waiting for him at Florida State.

After six years of bouncing around the minor leagues and getting as high as Triple-A, Weinke decided to give up on baseball, but not playing sports entirely. He wanted to go back to football. Richt reminded Bowden that if they took Weinke, they would lose Henson.

“Well, I promised him if ever wanted to play football again, I’d let him come back,” Bowden told Richt.

Richt asked to speak with Weinke first.

“I was telling him all the rules and regs, I was telling him about [quarterback] Dan Kendra already on campus and when I’m done giving him my spiel to try to get him not to come, he says, ‘Hey coach, let me ask you one question. If I’m the best guy, will I play?’ I said, ‘Of course.’ He goes, ‘I’m coming.’ We lost the other quarterback to Michigan. I guess we came out OK with Weinke.”

Nobody quite knew what to expect when he arrived on campus as a 25-year-old freshman in 1997, but he quickly became one of the guys, in part because he had a large house off campus and threw his fair share of parties where all were invited.

The larger issue was that he arrived as a baseball player. Weinke had not picked up a football in six years.

Getting his form back would take time and reps. Lots and lots of reps. Former teammates and coaches described Weinke’s competitiveness, work ethic and relentless demeanor as driving forces. He would never settle for anything less than his best effort; and he expected the same from his teammates.

That is why he woke up before class started and went to watch tape with Richt. Why he organized every voluntary 7-on-7 workout and essentially made them mandatory. Because if someone failed to show up, he would go and find them and bring them out to the practice field. He developed such a great rapport with his receivers that he would be able to anticipate where they would be at any given time on the field.

“Our chemistry was like none other,” said Marvin “Snoop” Minnis, his leading receiver in 2000. “He knew what I was going to do before I did. He would have the ball to me before I even got out of my break, and as a receiver, you love that so you can react and make the move you need to make on the defender.”

Weinke played sparingly in 1997 but won the starting job in 1998. Things started well enough in the opener. Then in his second career start, at NC State, Weinke threw a school-record six interceptions, and the criticism began.

“I remember getting back to the house, we had an answering machine back then. The most brutal messages you could imagine, cursing and threats, and ‘You don’t need to play quarterback,'” said Jeff Purinton, who was working in the Florida State media relations department at the time and was one of Weinke’s roommates. “Even going to the store, people would talk trash. Chris just weathered it and used that as an opportunity to learn.”

Weinke rebounded from there, helping Florida State reel off eight straight wins. That last win, against Virginia, was nearly the last time he saw the field.

TOWARD THE END of the first half, Weinke got sacked and felt pain in his right arm. He initially thought he had a shoulder injury. Weinke went into the locker room at halftime, and as trainers began to lift off his shoulder pads, he had a sharp pain in his neck. He was fitted with a brace and underwent further testing.

When the doctor walked in to deliver the results, Weinke remembers asking, “Before you share any news, I just want to know one thing. Am I ever going to play college football again?”

“Well,” the doctor said. “Do you want the good news or the bad news?”

The doctor said Weinke needed surgery to insert a titanium plate into his neck after X-rays showed a chipped bone lodged against a nerve in a vertebra, ligament damage and a ruptured disc.

“Maybe the better news,” the doctor said. “You were a centimeter away from being paralyzed from the neck down.”

“Mom hears that, and dad hears that. They’re not real excited about me getting back out on the field,” Weinke says. “But they knew that burning desire inside of me that wanted to get back out there and be a part of the team. The doctors told me that I’d be stronger with a titanium plate in my neck, so I was going to do whatever it took. But those were probably the hardest seven months of my life.”

Weinke initially had complications post-surgery and had to be in bed for five weeks. He lost 30 pounds, and his throwing arm atrophied so severely that it became impossible for him to even lift a football. He had to teach himself again how to throw, starting first with a tennis ball. Throwing it 5 yards was a huge accomplishment. Seven hours a day, day after day, he rehabbed, steadily progressing, all the while unsure whether he would make it all the way back.

Then, there he was in the season opener against Louisiana Tech, completing 63% of his passes, throwing for 242 yards and two touchdowns. That was the start of an undefeated national championship-winning season in 1999, as Florida State went wire to wire as the No. 1 team in the nation.

Weinke opted to return for one more season, because he wanted to get Bowden another national championship. After throwing for 3,432 yards, 29 touchdowns and 15 interceptions as a junior and winning the title, Weinke became one of the Heisman front-runners headed into 2000.

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS LATER, there is one play from that season that remains a part of Seminoles lore: Weinke to Minnis, 98 yards, in a 54-7 blowout win over Clemson in mid-November.

On the second series of the game, backed up near the goal line, Florida State ran what Bowden referred to as a “gym play” — one that was never practiced on the field, but rather behind closed doors inside the gym away from prying eyes. “Or spies,” Richt said.

Weinke dropped back deep into the end zone and faked a handoff to Jeff Chaney, turning his back to the defense and tucking the ball as if he no longer had it. Minnis had gone in motion and made the safety think he was blocking for a handoff, then took off down the middle. By the time Weinke delivered the ball, Minnis was wide open. Easy touchdown. Easy 54-7 win.

“He was so ice cold in that moment,” Minnis said. “The confidence that he had in the O-line to just stand there, then turn around and hit me for the touchdown. For him to make that fake as beautiful as he did and then put that ball on a dime just tells you how great Chris Weinke was and how deserving he was of that Heisman Trophy.”

There was another game that added to his legend: The regular-season final against the rival Gators. Weinke had missed the 1998 game in Gainesville because of his neck injury. Nothing would keep him from playing them in The Swamp in 2000. Not even the flu.

Weinke was so sick the night before the game, he stayed at the home of team doctor Kris Stowers so he would not be around the rest of the team in the team hotel. He rode with Stowers to the game on Saturday, and walked through all the tailgate lots on the way to the locker room. Trainers gave him an IV before the game started, and Weinke proceeded to throw for 353 yards and three touchdowns in the 30-7 win.

Florida State was well positioned to make it back to the national title game, and Weinke was also well positioned in the Heisman Trophy race. But as the weeks drew closer to the announcement of the Heisman finalists, critics waged a campaign against Weinke — saying his age should disqualify him from consideration. That angered his teammates.

“He dominated that year, and it had nothing to do with age,” Minnis said. Added running back Travis Minor: “When he got there, he wasn’t looking like a Heisman Trophy candidate or winner. He really put the work in. You saw the difference from when he first got there to when he had that Heisman Trophy season. He earned everything that he won.”

Florida State knew it had to start working on messaging with Heisman voters as the debate over his age raged on. Ultimately, school officials came back to one main point: It was hard to argue with the stats. Weinke had led the nation with 4,167 yards passing and 33 touchdowns and had the Seminoles playing in a third straight national championship game.

“He was playing baseball for six years. It wasn’t like he was throwing the football every day and training to be a starting college quarterback,” Purinton said. “The other part is he could have died when he broke his neck. There were two points in time where he had to go back and start football over again.”

Weinke said the narrative taking shape around his age “pissed me off.”

“I was playing college football, so if I’m playing college football, then I should be eligible to win any award that they’re giving out in college football,” Weinke said. “That was just a little motivating factor for me.”

Weinke ultimately made it to New York with fellow finalists Josh Heupel, LaDainian Tomlinson and Drew Brees. His teammates watched on television screens from the team banquet Florida State had scheduled for that night.

“Sitting in the Downtown Athletic Club coming out of a commercial break and them announcing your name will ring in my head till the day I die,” Weinke said.

Weinke beat out Heupel in one of the closest votes in Heisman history, taking a 76-point margin of victory. His teammates whooped and hollered for him back home. Weinke took the stage and said, “With apologies to Lou Gehrig, I feel like I’m the luckiest man in the world.”

WEINKE BEGAN COACHING 10 years after he won the Heisman. He first came to know King while working as an assistant at Tennessee in 2020. When King hit the portal in 2022, Weinke had moved on to Georgia Tech. His first call was to King.

“Playing quarterback is kind of tricky,” King says. “The stars have to align, whether it’s people around you and or how you’re playing. Even in my class, there were guys like Bryce Young and Anthony Richardson and C.J. Stroud, already in the league, and I’m still in college like Chandler Morris, Diego Pavia, Carson Beck. Everybody’s timeline is different.”

While the debate over his age has been left to the dustbin of history, what Weinke did that year may never be replicated. In an era of sport and position specialization, quarterbacks rarely play multiple sports at elite levels — let alone leave football behind for six years before coming back to it. In the 25 years since Weinke won the Heisman, Brandon Weeden at Oklahoma State is perhaps the only notable quarterback to play baseball and then stick around in college football into his late 20s.

“To go through the things that I went through was clearly the road less traveled,” Weinke said. “Being an older guy and not playing football for seven years, then fulfilling a dream of playing for Coach Bowden, then breaking my neck, and coming back and giving Coach Bowden his first undefeated season, and ultimately having my name called for the Heisman Trophy, I just felt blessed.”

The MLB winter meetings have come and gone, and though there’s always a hope that there will be plenty of action, that’s not always the case. The 2025 meetings didn’t have a $700-plus million deal like last year, but there were still a number of impactful free agent signings, although no groundbreaking trades.

Veteran slugger Kyle Schwarber chose to return to the Philadelphia Phillies on a five-year deal in the first major splash of the meetings. The Los Angeles Dodgers added to an already star-studded roster by signing closer Edwin Diaz to a three-year, $69 million contract that sets a record in AAV for a reliever. The Baltimore Orioles then joined the fun by adding a veteran slugger on a five-year deal of their own in Pete Alonso.

We asked our MLB experts who were on the scene in Orlando, Florida, to break down everything that happened this week. Which moves most impressed them — and which most confused them? Who were the biggest winners and losers? What should we make of the trade market? And what can we expect next?

What is the most interesting thing you heard this week in Orlando?

Jorge Castillo: That a Tarik Skubal trade is likely. Here’s what we know: Detroit Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris can shut down speculation by simply saying he is not trading Skubal and he has not done that. Instead, he noted this week that there aren’t any “untouchables” on his roster. Trading the best pitcher in baseball when you’re trying to compete would upset the fan base, but the Tigers, knowing re-signing Skubal next winter is unlikely, appear open to it.

Bradford Doolittle: Managers’ responses to questions about how they plan to handle the new ABS system were interesting. No one seems fixed on a protocol just yet, but what had not occurred to me is that catchers are likely to be the triggers for challenges for the defense. So instead of the possible reality in which catcher value was undermined by a full-blown automated system, this structure actually will enhance it — and we’ll have a new set of statistics to track.

Alden Gonzalez: Tyler Glasnow‘s name has come up in conversations, and the Dodgers would not be opposed to moving him. He’s poised to make a combined $60 million over the next two years, with either a $30 million club option or a $21.6 million player option in 2028. But the quality of his stuff continues to tantalize executives throughout the industry, and there are certainly a fair share of teams that will bank on him staying healthy enough to make it worthwhile. Maybe he’s part of the package that brings Tarik Skubal to L.A. A longshot, perhaps, but wilder things have happened.

Jeff Passan: The Texas Rangers are in listening mode on star shortstop Corey Seager, which doesn’t mean the two-time World Series MVP is by any means going to be moved but reflects the Rangers’ willingness to overhaul the team beyond their trade of Marcus Semien. To be abundantly clear: Texas isn’t looking to shed the remaining $186 million on his contract. The return would need to overwhelm the Rangers. But they are facing a payroll crunch, and with Pete Alonso landing a $155 million deal and Kyle Schwarber reaping $150 million, Seager’s deal is quite appealing. He’s only 31, he plays an excellent shortstop and of all the position players ostensibly available via trade or free agency, he is the best.

Jesse Rogers: Simply put, that deals for many of the major free agent pitchers aren’t close to being finalized. It almost feels like the beginning of the offseason for starting pitchers, who are meeting with teams to try to ignite their market. There has been a steady pace of signings for relievers — especially at the high end — but other than Dylan Cease, starting pitchers have been slow to agree to deals. That will change — at least in part — because Japanese starter Tatsuya Imai has a deadline of Jan. 2 to sign, but even that is still several weeks away.

What was your favorite move of the offseason so far?

Doolittle: I’m not too excited about any of them so far — not that I think they’re all bad, just nothing tickles my fancy. So the bar is pretty low. I’ll go with the Toronto Blue Jays going big on Cease. Keep that crest wave Toronto is on rolling.

Gonzalez: As a general rule, any free agent deal this time of year tends to be an overpay. And that’s what makes the Dodgers’ deal for star closer Diaz so appealing. Diaz received the highest annual value ever for a reliever, but they were able to get him for only three years (and, as they so often do, defer some of the payments). The Dodgers capitalized on the New York Mets‘ signing of Devin Williams — which opened the door for Diaz’s departure — and addressed their own biggest need with the type of short-term, high-AAV contract that is always their preference.

Rogers: I love Baltimore going for it, agreeing to a deal with Alonso. The Orioles had a bad season in 2025 and are doing everything they can to change their fortunes for next season — even if there are some inherent doubts about acquiring an aging first baseman for big money. The bottom line is Alonso is going to mash in Baltimore and perhaps bring some leadership to a team that needs a veteran presence. I love the big swing here — pun intended.

Which team’s actions (or lack thereof) had you scratching your head?

Doolittle: It’s probably too early to judge any particular team for its offseason in total, but the most perplexing move for me was Baltimore dealing Grayson Rodriguez to the Los Angeles Angels for one year of Taylor Ward. That definitely makes my head itch.

Castillo: The Orioles prioritizing a slugger after acquiring Ward from the Angels was unexpected. Baltimore does not have a shortage of young position player talent. Starting pitching, not offense, was their pressing need — especially after trading Rodriguez for Ward. But the Orioles offered Schwarber a five-year, $150 million and quickly pivoted to Alonso when Schwarber chose the Phillies, landing the former Mets first baseman with a five-year, $155 million deal that surpassed industry projections. The pressure remains on Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias to acquire a frontline starter, which he has plainly stated is an offseason priority.

Passan: What the New York Mets did over a 24-hour period to end the meetings — miss out on slugger Schwarber, lose closer Díaz to the two-time defending World Series champion Dodgers and lose Alonso, their franchise home run leader, to the Orioles — felt like a bloodletting.

Collapses like the Mets’ have consequences, and president of baseball operations David Stearns is reshaping them to his liking. Defensive liabilities are a no-no. Record-setting deals for relief pitchers are verboten. How the Mets proceed is anyone’s best guess, but let’s not forget: Steve Cohen is still the richest owner in baseball, and that opens a world of possibilities. But if this period of inaction isn’t remedied through decisive moves — an influx of talent either through free agency or trades — the Mets’ playoff hopes will end before they’ve begun.

After a lot of buzz ahead of the meetings, it was pretty quiet on the trade front. What is one big deal you think could go down from here?

Gonzalez: The Miami Marlins have been engaged in trade conversations around Edward Cabrera, a 27-year-old starting pitcher with three controllable years remaining. And the Orioles have emerged as a front-runner, as first reported by The Athletic. There are a number of starting pitchers available at the moment. Sonny Gray has already gone from St. Louis to Boston, and Cabrera could be next to move.

Passan: A second baseman is going to move. Maybe multiple. There is too much interest in Ketel Marte, Brendan Donovan and Brandon Lowe for a deal not to be consummated. It’s not just them, either. Jake Cronenworth is available. The Yankees have listened on Jazz Chisholm Jr. The Mets’ overhaul could include moving Jeff McNeil.

Marte and Donovan are the clear prizes, with Arizona’s and St. Louis’ respective asking prices exceptionally high. Which is where, at this point on the calendar, they should be. Especially with all of the teams that could use a second baseman (Boston, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Seattle, New York Mets) or that would be willing to replace theirs.

Rogers: Where there is smoke, there is fire, meaning Washington Nationals starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore will be moved. His name came up a lot in Orlando and there are enough motivated teams in part because he’s good and affordable. An American League East team, such as the New York Yankees or Orioles, fits for Gore — especially the latter, which might have an extra hitter or two to spare after signing Alonso. Gore fits in Baltimore on several levels.

Who was the biggest winner — and loser — of the week?

Castillo: The Mets were the biggest loser. Losing Diaz and Alonso on consecutive days two weeks after trading Brandon Nimmo is a staggering sequence not just because they are all All-Star-caliber players, but because they were so integral to the franchise and beloved by the fan base. This doesn’t mean the Mets can’t emerge as winners this season. President of baseball operations David Stearns & Co. have time to rebound. They certainly have moves to make. But this was an ugly week for Mets fans, one they’ll never forget.

Passan: The Dodgers were the biggest winner, filling their clearest need with one of the best closers in baseball, Díaz. Cincinnati, in the meantime, is the biggest loser.

Free agents of Schwarber’s ilk rarely entertain the idea of going to small-market teams, but the Reds had a built-in advantage: He was from there. Considering the scarcity of such possibilities, the Reds– one big bat away from being a real threat to win the NL Central — needed to treat Schwarber’s potential arrival with urgency and embrace their inner spendthrift. They had the money to place the largest bid. They chose not to. And they missed, a true shame considering the strength of their rotation and the likelihood that similar opportunities won’t find them again anytime soon.

Rogers: The Phillies were the biggest winner. Where would they be without Schwarber? Perhaps it was fait accompli he would be returning, but until he signed on the dotted line, some doubt had to exist. His power simply can’t be replaced, meaning the Phillies’ whole trajectory this offseason would have changed had he left. Now, they can keep moving forward on other important decisions, such as what to do at catcher and if Nick Castellanos still fits their roster. Checking the Schwarber box removes a major potential headache for the franchise. Conversely, even if it was a long shot, the Cincinnati Reds losing out on Schwarber has to hurt. As important as he is to the Phillies, his impact in Cincinnati could have been even more meaningful. He instantly would have elevated the Reds on and off the field.

Which team is under the most pressure to do something big after the meetings?

Castillo: The Mets for the reasons I stated above. Stearns obviously believed he needed to make changes to the roster after such a disappointing season. But this is a major, major overhaul that goes beyond on-field performance. Diaz, Alonso, and Nimmo were beloved core Mets and key to the franchise’s fabric. The pressure is on Stearns to ensure the jarring changes will produce success.

Doolittle: Cincinnati. The Reds muffed the Schwarber situation in a major way. I’m not sure what their actual chances were of signing him, but they should have at least matched what the Phillies offered. The fit between the player and what he’d add to the city and the clubhouse culture while addressing the roster’s biggest need in an emphatic fashion was a set of alignments hard to replicate. There is no suitable pivot from here. But the Reds need to do something — and they need to stop making excuses for why they don’t.

Gonzalez: The Mets. Their decision to not pay a premium for cornerstone players prompted Diaz to leave for L.A., Alonso to depart for Baltimore and their fans, understandably, to be up in arms. Now, they must react. They still have needs to address in their rotation, but they have to get aggressive with their lineup before all of the premium bats come off the board. Going after Cody Bellinger, and potentially stealing him from their crosstown rivals, feels like the natural pivot.

Passan: The Blue Jays have a chance to seize control of the AL East even more than they did in winning the division this year. Whether that means signing Tucker, Bo Bichette or both, they’re spending in the sort of fashion the Yankees and Red Sox used to — and taking advantage of the window of opportunity that presents is imperative.

Toronto, long mocked for its failures in free agency, is now a destination for players enthralled by the brand of baseball the Blue Jays play as well as the deep pockets of ownership. If you’re going to spend $210 million on Cease, that’s a sign: It’s all-in time, and opportunistic maneuvering would pay huge dividends for Toronto.

Rogers: The Yankees. For once, they are the team that needs to respond after the Blue Jays beat them on the field and now so far in the offseason. Toronto keeps adding while New York should try to at least maintain what it has — meaning Bellinger, or perhaps Tucker, should be in Yankees pinstripes as soon as possible. If the Yankees can add Imai, they’ll match Toronto’s addition of Cease. That would be a good thing. The two teams aren’t that far apart in talent, but Yankees general manager Brian Cashman can’t take his foot off the gas. The pressure is on in New York again.

The first NHL trade tier rankings of the season are sadly lacking in Sidney Crosby content.

Many around the league were prepared for Crosby trade talk to become its own cottage industry in 2025-26, as the Pittsburgh Penguins star center sought a return to the Stanley Cup playoffs on another team. Alas, the Penguins might end up being Crosby’s playoff team, having amassed a .625 points percentage through 28 games and holding down a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. If they’re playing meaningful games this season, Crosby isn’t going anywhere — if he ever was in the first place.

Fear not! There are plenty of other fascinating names who could be traded this season, including one franchise defenseman in Vancouver who might be headed for a family reunion across the continent — or perhaps another destination.

The NHL trade deadline is March 6, 2026. Here’s a way-too-early look at some of the players who might be moved before that date, from the shocking possibilities to the pending free agents to the overlooked gems who could be the difference in winning the Stanley Cup.

This list was compiled through conversations with league executives and other sources, as well as media reports. ESPN insiders including Emily Kaplan added their input in its creation. Salary figures are from PuckPedia.

Let’s start with the player whose potential availability has helped define this NHL season.

Jump ahead: Shocking possibilities
Elite pending FAs
Elite players with term
25-and-under tier
Goaltenders
Glue guys up front
Glue guys on D
Bargain beauty contracts

Quinn Hughes tier

Quinn Hughes, D, Vancouver Canucks

The Quinn Hughes rumor mill is spinning like a centrifuge, mostly because the Canucks are a major disappointment and have signaled that they’re looking to reshape their roster. But that’s just the match that lit the powder keg.

Speculation that Hughes will be traded before his contract ($7.85 million average annual value) is up in summer 2027 has increased since team president Jim Rutherford said the defenseman “wants to play with his brothers,” Jack and Luke of the New Jersey Devils.

Quinn Hughes didn’t help quiet matters when he referred to Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald as “Fitzy” in a recent interview. Granted, Fitzgerald is part of the management team for Team USA, on which Quinn Hughes will play in the 2026 Winter Olympics. It’s also what his brothers call their boss. But that colloquialism didn’t help the mood of Canucks fans preparing for the inevitable.

Hughes, 26, is one of the two best defensemen in the NHL along with Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche. Since 2022, he’s first in assists (224 in 253 games) and second in points (266) behind Makar (284) among NHL defensemen. Vancouver can’t afford to botch this.

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Quinn Hughes nets goal for Canucks

Quinn Hughes lights the lamp for Canucks

The Quinn Hughes situation will likely play out in one of four ways:

1. He declares his everlasting love for the Canucks and fealty to the Aquilini family by signing a contract extension to see this thing through in Vancouver. This is the unlikeliest scenario.

2. Rutherford’s declaration proves prophetic as the Canucks trade Hughes to New Jersey for a package that includes 21-year-old defenseman Simon Nemec. Quinn Hughes signs an extension that keeps him with the Devils through the 2031-32 season, when Luke Hughes can become an unrestricted free agent.

I think the Canucks’ actual target on the Devils is 26-year-old captain Nico Hischier, but it’s hard to imagine New Jersey gutting its depth like that considering how much time No. 1 center Jack Hughes has missed on an annual basis. If the Devils were to trade Hischier, they’d spend the rest of Quinn Hughes’ time in New Jersey looking for a player like Nico Hischier. If that’s the only way the Canucks will send them Quinn Hughes, why not just wait it out until he can join a Nico Hischier team? Speaking of which …

3. Quinn Hughes plays out the next two seasons in Vancouver as a lame-duck captain before leaving as an unrestricted free agent in summer 2027, most likely to New Jersey. It’s hard to imagine Vancouver would take this option rather than trading him.

4. The Canucks acknowledge the Quinn Hughes era in Vancouver is essentially done, maximize their trade return with contract terms left on his deal, and send him somewhere that gets Vancouver more positionally specific help than New Jersey can ante up.

The word out of Vancouver is that GM Patrik Allvin is seeking young players up front who can help the team immediately, with an emphasis on the center spot. How many teams would offer that up for two playoff runs with Quinn Hughes, plus the possibility of convincing him to stay long term? Or failing that, have him for the rest of this season and before trading him to the Devils themselves?

In this scenario, the Detroit Red Wings are the team that has immediately leaped to many minds. They have 21-year-old Marco Kasper, selected eighth in the 2022 draft. He’s struggling to find his game in the NHL but has a world of potential and over 100 games of experience. They also have 21-year-old Nate Danielson, selected ninth in 2023 and playing his rookie season for Detroit. The Red Wings also have players like 22-year-old defenseman Simon Edvinsson they could offer to Vancouver.

Detroit also has the potential to keep Quinn Hughes beyond 2027. Captain Dylan Larkin is a friend. The Hughes family put roots down in Michigan around seven years ago. The idea that Quinn could sign with Detroit and Jack could join him as a free agent in 2030 has wormed its way into the collective hockey consciousness online.

The Philadelphia Flyers have a personal connection to Quinn Hughes with beloved former coach Rick Tocchet behind their bench. The New York Rangers have desperate needs on their blue line, and some good young forwards who might attract the Canucks. Could the Anaheim Ducks package some of their young standouts for Quinn Hughes, assuming the Canucks would ever trade him within their division? Can we ever really count out teams such as the Carolina Hurricanes and Dallas Stars in a situation like this, given how aggressive they’ve both been in pursuit of a Stanley Cup?

One team getting a ton of buzz this week is Washington. Rachel Kryshak, who writes about prospects for ESPN, speculated that the Capitals could add Quinn Hughes to “go for it” with Alex Ovechkin before rebuilding in the post-Ovi years. She believes center Connor McMichael or winger Ryan Leonard could entice Vancouver to make that deal.

Around the NHL, the consensus remains that Quinn Hughes will end up playing with Jack and Luke. It’s the “when and where?” that is the perplexing part.

Shocking possibilities tier

Jordan Kyrou, RW, St. Louis Blues
Artemi Panarin, LW, New York Rangers
Elias Pettersson, C, Vancouver Canucks
Morgan Rielly, D, Toronto Maple Leafs

Pettersson being traded would be shocking only because (A) it seemed like trading J.T. Miller meant keeping him around and (B) his contract AAV ($11.6 million through 2031-32) and protection (full no-movement clause) allowed a trade to happen. Otherwise, anyone can go in Vancouver.

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Elias Pettersson scores while falling down for Canucks

Elias Pettersson nets an impressive goal while falling onto the ice to give the Canucks a 2-1 lead over the Sharks.

Kyrou would be shocking only because the window seems closed on when the Blues could deal the 27-year-old winger. His no-trade clause started this season, and he remains in St. Louis despite some reports about his availability heading into last season’s draft. He has 16 points in 28 games but is currently week-to-week with a lower-body injury. Kyrou is signed for $8.125 million annually through 2030-31.

Panarin is an unrestricted free agent after this season with an $11,642,857 AAV. He’s the Rangers’ leading scorer after 31 games, with a 1.03 points-per-game average, helping New York to the playoff bubble in the crowded East. The intrigue here is whether Panarin and GM Chris Drury can find common ground on a contract. Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos thinks the Rangers want “an Anze Kopitar type of contract” with Panarin. “Kopitar made $10 million against the cap on his previous deal with the Kings, but signed a two-year extension with a $7 million AAV that will take him to the end of his career after this season ends,” Kypreos wrote.

Rielly is one of several Maple Leafs with trade protection, in his case a full no-movement clause. He is signed through 2029-30 at a $7.5 million AAV. Rielly has been terrific this season for Toronto, with 22 points in 28 games, skating 22 minutes per game. But the perception remains that he’s a better fit as a strong No. 2 on a good team. Since he’s 31 years old, could the Leafs decide to reshape their blue line by persuading the 13-year veteran and former member of the “Core Four” to move on?

Elite pending free agent tier

Rasmus Andersson, D, Calgary Flames
Mario Ferraro, D, San Jose Sharks
Jordan Eberle, RW, Seattle Kraken
Boone Jenner, C, Columbus Blue Jackets
Evander Kane, LW, Vancouver Canucks
Mason Marchment, F, Seattle Kraken
Nick Schmaltz, C Utah Mammoth
Jaden Schwartz, F, Seattle Kraken
Alex Tuch, RW, Buffalo Sabres

Andersson’s name has been on trade boards for two seasons running. He addressed that before the season, shooting down a rumor that he’d only accept a trade to the Vegas Golden Knights. Andersson is seeking a big number on his next contract after making $4.55 million annually against the salary cap on this one. He has a six-team no-trade list. The Dallas Stars have been heavily mentioned as a suitor, with a need for this kind of defenseman on their right side.

Ferraro is the only other defenseman in this tier. There was talk last season that he’d be open to a change in scenery, but that was before the Sharks started turning the corner a bit thanks to Macklin Celebrini. He plays 20:56 per game and makes just $3.25 million against the cap. If he’s not in the plans, he could bring something palpable back for GM Mike Grier.

The Canucks alerted the rest of the NHL recently that they’re willing to trade any of their pending free agents. Kane ($5.125 million, 16-team no-trade list) has only five goals in 29 games.

Jenner is an interesting name on the trade board. He’s 32 years old and has played 13 seasons with the Blue Jackets, the team he captains. While he has had some trouble staying in the lineup for the Jackets, he’s a leader, a “glue guy” and someone who can pop for 25 goals in a season. And it’s a sweetheart of a cap hit: Jenner has a $3.75 million AAV and an eight-team no-trade list.

Speaking of intangibles, that’s been Tuch’s calling card for years as an energetic forechecker winger who can also score 36 goals, as he did last season. Tuch has been with the Sabres, his favorite team growing up, for five seasons. If they aren’t in contention and can’t agree on an extension of his deal ($4.75 million), more than a few contenders will pony up to acquire him.

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Alex Tuch wins it in OT for Sabres vs. Oilers

Alex Tuch lights the lamp

Contender status — and some trade protection — could determine the availability of Seattle’s slew of UFAs like Eberle ($4.75 million, no-trade clause), Schwartz ($5.5 million, limited no-trade clause) and Marchment ($4.5 million, limited no-trade clause).

Ditto Schmaltz with the Mammoth, who are going to be without leading goal scorer Logan Cooley for a while. He has been one of their leading scorers, with 36 points in 31 games. He makes $5.85 million against the cap. But Dave Pagnotta of Daily Faceoff noted that Schmaltz and the Mammoth discussed in the summer possible trade destinations where he’d be willing to sign an extension.

Elite players with term tier

Phillip Danault, C, Los Angeles Kings
Justin Faulk, D, St. Louis Blues
Conor Garland, RW, Vancouver Canucks
Nazem Kadri, C, Calgary Flames
Jonathan Marchessault, C, Nashville Predators
Tyler Myers, D, Vancouver Canucks
Ryan O’Reilly, C, Nashville Predators
Brayden Schenn, C, St. Louis Blues
Steven Stamkos, C, Nashville Predators
Owen Tippett, RW, Philadelphia Flyers
Pavel Zacha, C, Boston Bruins

It seems like everyone in the NHL is looking for help at center. Well, do we have a tier for them …

The biggest name here is Stamkos, the 35-year-old whose star has dimmed since arriving in Nashville. He has eight goals in 29 games, to go along with just three assists. Teams have called GM Barry Trotz about Stamkos’ availability, but as of recently there hadn’t been any concrete offers put in front of Stamkos, who has a full no-movement clause. Complicating things is his contract: $8 million annually through 2027-28. The Predators would have to pick up a portion of that to maximize their return, given Stamkos’ age and output.

Marchessault signed with Nashville in the same summer spree that landed Stamkos. He also has a full no-movement clause and makes $5.5 million against the cap. He has only nine points in 24 games for the Predators, but it’s hard to forget what the 34-year-old did during his Golden Knights days, including a Conn Smythe Trophy win as playoff MVP during their Stanley Cup championship in 2023.

But the Conn Smythe winner most likely to leave Nashville is O’Reilly. He has a friendly cap hit ($4.5 million annually) on a contract with two years left on it. Though he doesn’t have trade projection, Trotz will work with him on some preferred destinations. He has 22 points in 29 games and remains an ace on faceoffs (57.7%).

Danault wins 53.1% of his faceoffs and has hit 50 points in the past. His ice time has dropped for two straight seasons under coach Jim Hiller. NHL sources have indicated that there have been discussions about a parting of ways for the Kings and Danault, who has two years left at $5.5 million AAV and limited trade protection.

The availability of the other three centers here is dictated by their team’s on-ice results. Zacha, who has a $4.7 million AAV and two years left on his deal, was prominently mentioned as another trade possibility for GM Don Sweeney during the offseason, but is that still the case with the Bruins thriving under new coach Marco Sturm? Zacha has 22 points in 30 games.

Schenn has a 15-team no-trade clause, making $6.5 million against the cap until 2027-28. He has been in St. Louis for nine seasons. Defenseman Faulk has been there for seven seasons. He has two years left at $6.5 million AAV (with some trade protection), but his front-loaded contract means he’s making only $4.5 million in actual dollars this season and next.

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Brayden Schenn tallies goal vs. Canadiens

Brayden Schenn lights the lamp for Blues

The Blues could get a hefty return for Schenn. So could the Flames with Kadri, who is coveted around the league as a quintessential No. 2 or No. 3 center on a contending team. The 35-year-old makes $7 million against the cap annually through 2028-29 and has a 13-team no-trade list. The Flames have climbed back to contention in the West after a rough start, with Kadri scoring 26 points in 31 games. The real issue here: The Calgary hierarchy really likes having Kadri on this team. If he does move, it’s going to be for something substantial.

Depending on how deep the roster reconfigure goes in Vancouver, Garland and Myers could be part of it. Garland hasn’t even started his six-year, $36 million extension he signed in July. He has 15 points in 24 games for Vancouver. Myers is signed through next season with a minuscule $3 million annual cap hit but has a no-movement clause that he’s reportedly not keen on waiving. One wonders if that would include a potential trade to the Flyers and a reunion with former Canucks coach Rick Tocchet.

Speaking of the Flyers: Is Tippett’s name being out there just noise or something more palpable? His trade protection kicks in during the 2026-27 season. He makes $6.2 million annually against the cap through 2031-32. He has had three straight 20-plus goal seasons and had 19 points in the Flyers’ first 28 games.

The 25-and-under tier

Bowen Byram, D, Buffalo Sabres
Yegor Chinakhov, F, Columbus Blue Jackets
Brad Lambert, C, Winnipeg Jets
Pavel Mintyukov, D, Anaheim Ducks
Brennan Othmann, LW, New York Rangers
Nicholas Robertson, F, Toronto Maple Leafs

This is a tier of discontent.

Chinakhov requested a trade during the offseason but hasn’t done much to inspire potential suitors. He had four points in his first 24 games this season, with his ice time dropping to a minuscule 10:04 on average. He has had an injury-plagued career. Chinakhov makes $2.1 million against the salary cap and is a restricted free agent next summer.

Lambert has been disgruntled with his progress within the Jets organization for over a year now, having played just 10 games in the NHL after being selected 30th overall in 2022. The 21-year-old is signed through next season on a deal that carries an NHL cap hit of $1,136,667.

Mintyukov, 22, has expressed a desire to be moved by the Ducks if they’re not going to play him, but they could move him just to loosen up their logjam on defense, both at the NHL level and with what’s coming through their prospect pipeline. “Anaheim’s going to deal from a position of strength there,” one NHL executive said.

The Rangers have been looking for takers on Othmann, the 22-year-old 16th overall pick in 2021. The winger has been stuck in the AHL for three seasons, unable to earn a spot in the NHL either during training camp or in the season.

Robertson requested a trade in 2024 before re-signing with the Maple Leafs as a restricted free agent. Every time he’s scratched or takes criticism from his coach — Craig Berube recently said his play had “dropped off” — the 24-year-old is back in the rumor mill thanks to his $1.825 million cap hit.

Byram, meanwhile, signed a two-year deal with the Sabres in July ($6.25 million AAV) but that didn’t quiet speculation he could be traded. The bumpy start to his season, with 13 points in 30 games and a minus-11, might not have suitors lining up.

The goalie tier

Jordan Binnington, St. Louis Blues
Laurent Brossoit, Chicago Blackhawks
Nico Daws, New Jersey Devils
Michael DiPietro, Boston Bruins
Tristan Jarry, Pittsburgh Penguins
Elvis Merzlikins, Columbus Blue Jackets
Calvin Pickard, Edmonton Oilers
Stuart Skinner, Edmonton Oilers
Cam Talbot, Detroit Red Wings

Binnington said he’s focused on his “inner world” more than what his terrible season means for his Canadian Olympic team status. “Then the rest will take care of itself. That’s where my focus goes,” said the Blues goalie, whose general manager Doug Armstrong also happens to be the guy in charge of Canada’s Olympic roster.

He’s 7-7-5 with a .875 save percentage and a 3.29 goals-against average, with the second-worst goals saved above expected in the league (minus-7.7) via Money Puck. That hasn’t stopped fans from Edmonton to Montreal from wish-casting Binnington as the solution to their team’s goaltending problems. Binnington has an AAV of $6 million and a 14-team no-trade list. The question remains if Armstrong wants to move him — and move him at the nadir of his NHL career, no less — or keep the 4 Nations Face-Off standout around through 2026-27, when his contract ends.

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Jordan Binnington robs Canadiens with save

Jordan Binnington robs Canadiens with save

In case anyone has missed the past two Stanley Cup Finals, the Oilers could use an upgrade in goal. Both Skinner and Pickard are pending unrestricted free agents. Theoretically, Edmonton would like to add a veteran upgrade over Pickard ($1 million AAV) to pair with Skinner ($2.6 million AAV). But considering Edmonton’s cap situation, it might be money in/money out with Skinner.

That was the rumor when Jarry was linked to the Oilers earlier this month, a deal that would have required Pittsburgh to retain part of his $5.375 million annual cap hit through 2027-28. But are the Penguins really looking to move a goalie that has helped backstop them to a wild-card spot with 11 goals saved above expected? Who’s going to have that conversation with Sid?

Brossoit is buried on the Blackhawks’ depth chart, having undergone knee surgery to revive his career. The 32-year-old has an NHL cap hit of $3.3 million. Daws ($812,500 AAV) and DiPietro ($812,500 AAV) are also buried on their teams’ depth charts.

The Blue Jackets have been looking for takers on Merzlikins for years. He has a $5.4 million AAV and is signed through next season.

The only reason the Red Wings conceivably move Talbot, who has been their best goalie, is if dominant 23-year-old AHL prospect Sebastian Cossa forces their hand. Talbot is a UFA after this season with a $2.5 million AAV. The same goes for Anthony Stolarz, who signed a four-year deal in September ($3.75 million AAV) but might have been market corrected by Dennis Hildeby while out with an illness.

Help up front tier

Michael Bunting, F, Nashville Predators
Blake Coleman, C, Calgary Flames
Jason Dickinson, C, Chicago Blackhawks
Erik Haula, C, Nashville Predators
Yegor Sharangovich, F, Calgary Flames
Eeli Tolvanen, F, Seattle Kraken
Alexander Wennberg, C, San Jose Sharks

Again, much depends on where teams are in the standings and how they view some of their pending free agents, like Dickinson and Wennberg.

Perhaps the most intriguing option here is Coleman, a Stanley Cup winner with the Lightning who can play a variety of roles on a contender.

“I could see Coleman moved, but there would have to be retention with that term,” an NHL executive said, noting that Coleman is signed through 2026-27.

Help on the blue line tier

Brandon Carlo, D, Toronto Maple Leafs
Ian Cole, D, Utah Mammoth
John Klingberg, D, San Jose Sharks
Timothy Liljegren, D, San Jose Sharks
Connor Murphy, D, Chicago Blackhawks
Jamie Oleksiak, D, Seattle Kraken
Brady Skjei, D, Nashville Predators

The majority of these defensemen are headed to unrestricted free agency. Murphy is an intriguing one, making $4.4 million against the cap with a limited no-trade clause. The Blackhawks have a loaded pipeline on defense and may not want to offer term to a 31-year-old Murphy.

Sportsnet’s Kypreos reported that the Leafs explored a Carlo trade in the offseason. He has a limited no-trade clause and makes $3.485 million against the cap, with Boston having retained 15% of his contract via trade last season.

As much as Stamkos has gotten grief for a dreadful tenure in Nashville, Skjei might have had the worse run since signing there in summer 2024. After hitting a four-year low in scoring along with a minus-24 last season, he has just eight points through 29 games this season, skating to a minus-15. Alas, his contract carries a $7 million cap hit through 2030-31 with a full no-movement clause. Hope he enjoys hot chicken. He’s probably going to be in Nashville for a while.

Bargain beauty contracts tier

Teddy Blueger, C, Vancouver Canucks
Erik Gustafsson, D, Detroit Red Wings
Ryan Lomberg, LW, Calgary Flames
Lukas Reichel, LW, Vancouver Canucks
Kiefer Sherwood, F, Vancouver Canucks
Kevin Stenlund, C, Utah Mammoth
Oskar Sundqvist, C, St. Louis Blues

All the players in this tier make $2 million against the cap or less.

For a minute there, Sherwood was one of the most coveted goal scorers in the NHL, with 12 goals in 20 games. That he then went the next 10 games without a goal shouldn’t discourage teams from seeking his services: He’s a hard-nosed competitor who plays physical and, as he’s shown this season, can put the puck in the net. Better still, he’s on an expiring contract with a $1.5 million AAV whose salary is below that ($1.3 million).

The Athletic reported that Vancouver is seeking “a good roster player and have also asked teams for a first-round pick.”

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Kiefer Sherwood nets power-play goal

Kiefer Sherwood scores on the power play for Vancouver Canucks

Blueger ($1.8 million) is another Canucks UFA potentially on the move. Reichel ($1.2 million) is an RFA next summer, having been acquired from Chicago in October. Things have not worked out: he’s been a healthy scratch with coach Adam Foote declaring, “We think there’s players right now slightly ahead of him.”

Lomberg ($2 million AAV) and Stenlund ($2 million AAV) both won the Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers. Sundqvist won Cups with Pittsburgh and St. Louis. The 31-year-old center makes $1.5 million against the cap. Gustafsson, meanwhile has seen more time in the AHL than NHL this season. The 33-year-old has a $2 million cap hit and is a UFA at the end of the season. A reunion with the Rangers, with whom he played in 2023-24, has been rumored.

But at this point, they’re all rumors. And based on the lack of player movement in the NHL over the last year under the rising salary cap, how many of these names actually change uniforms is anyone’s guess.

“Honestly, it’s so quiet right now. It sucks,” an NHL executive concluded.