Report: Canucks "Went Well Down the Road" To Acquire Quinn Hughes' Best Friend

The Vancouver Canucks were in deep trade discussions to acquire Ottawa Senators center Josh Norris before he was ultimately dealt to the Buffalo Sabres. 

According to TSN’s Bruce Garrioch, Vancouver "went well down the road" in talks with Ottawa, attempting to bring in Norris, who is a close friend of Canucks captain Quinn Hughes. 

TSN’s Darren Dreger also reported that Vancouver had “strong interest” in Norris, viewing him as a key addition to their center depth as they push for the playoffs. However, the Senators ultimately opted to move Norris and Jacob Bernard-Docker to Buffalo in exchange for Dylan Cozens, Denis Gilbert, and a 2026 second-round pick.

The Canucks' interest in Norris made sense beyond his friendship with Hughes. 

“Vancouver was keenly interested in Josh Norris,” Darren Dreger said on TSN’s trade deadline coverage.

The 25-year-old, who played with Hughes at the U.S. National Team Development Program and the University of Michigan, has been a productive top-six center when healthy, with 20 goals and 33 points in 53 games this season. 

“He’s my best friend and we’re really tight. He lives 20 minutes from me and we pretty much see each other every weekend in the summer,” Hughes told Postmedia’s Ben Kuzma in 2021.

With J.T. Miller gone, Vancouver saw Norris as a potential long-term solution down the middle. The team also explored other center options, including discussions with Buffalo involving Elias Pettersson in a package for Cozens and Bowen Byram earlier in the season.

Vancouver ultimately stood pat at the trade deadline, opting to finish the season with their current roster, including pending UFAs Brock Boeser, Pius Suter, and Derek Forbort. 

While the failed Norris trade stings, the Canucks will have opportunities to address their center depth in free agency this summer, with options such as Sam Bennett, Matt Duchene, and Ryan Donato potentially available.

Photo Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images