NHL trade rumors: Vancouver Canucks interested in $63,600,000 Ottawa Senators forward and Quinn Hughes' "very good friend"

The Vancouver Canucks could pursue Ottawa Senators forward Josh Norris, Adam Kierszenblat of The Hockey News believes. The Canucks insider said the Canucks are interested in Norris as Kierszenblat believes Norris could be a good addition at center for Vancouver.

Kierszenblat cited the good relationship between Norris and Canucks captain Quinn Hughes as another reason why the deal makes sense.

Kierszenblat posted on X that Norris is:

“Very good friend with Quinn Hughes and is signed long term.”

Norris is in the third year of an eight-year, $63.6 million deal. The Senators signed Norris to the deal in 2022 when the center was an RFA. He’s set to become a UFA in 2031.

With the cap ceiling rising, and the Canucks in search of a replacement for the recently departed J.T. Miller, adding Norris could be a good idea for Vancouver.

Kierszenblat concluded his thoughts by stating that Norris is:

“A name to keep an eye.”

There is no indication of an imminent deal at this point. Perhaps a deal may get done in the offseason when the dust settles on this year.

Norris is dealing with an undisclosed injury. There is no timeline for his return, meaning Quinn Hughes and the Vancouver Canucks may want to wait until Norris is fully healed before acquiring the 25-year-old center.

Quinn Hughes untouchable for the Vancouver Canucks

A piece published in The Athletic on January 30 looked at which Vancouver Canucks players could be moved by the trade deadline.

The piece ran before the J.T. Miller trade was finalized and the subsequent trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins. As such, several names from that list have already departed.

However, the article focused on several “untouchable” players on the Canucks’ roster. Topping that list of untouchable players was the Canucks' captain. Hughes has three years left on his current deal, which carries a $7.85 million cap hit.

With Hughes amid another tremendous year, it seems impossible to fathom a deal for him. Even if the Canucks entertained such an idea, there’s no telling what the return would have to be for Hughes.

Unless the Canucks were somehow unable to re-sign Hughes down the road, the Canucks might consider moving Hughes before he becomes a free agent. However, with the cap ceiling going up over the next three seasons, there’s plenty of room to believe the Canucks will make Hughes the highest-paid defenseman in league history.