QUINN HUGHES HEADS TO THE WILD!
The Minnesota Wild acquired defenseman Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks for center Marco Rossi, defenseman Zeev Buium, winger Liam Ohgren and a first-round draft pick in 2026.
What does it give the Minnesota Wild
This is the first blockbuster NHL trade since the Hurricanes acquired Mikko Rantanen from Colorado last season. That too was on a Friday night! Hughes is one of the best defensemen in the NHL but he was unhappy with Vancouver's losing ways. So he now gets to play on a better squad in Minnesota, who need his offense from the back end. The Wild are trying to stay with the two best teams in the NHL, Colorado and Dallas. Adding Hughes will do just that, since Minnesota's power play will be a lot more lethal with Hughes and Kirill Kaprizov on the top unit. This move is a huge win for Wild GM Bill Guerin, although now his task will be to convince Hughes to stay in Minnesota beyond next season. With rumors running rampant that Hughes wants to eventually play with his brothers (Jack and Luke Hughes of the New Jersey Devils), Guerin might have to get creative here.
What does it give the Vancouver Canucks
Canucks fans are likely unhappy at this time, since their captain and best player has just been traded to another Western Conference team. That said, Hughes was playing uninspired hockey because he clearly did not want to be in Vancouver any longer. So with that as the backdrop, the Canucks did fairly well here. Rossi is a legitimate top-six center in a league where teams are always looking for top-six centers. Buium is a quality rookie defenseman whose role will grow exponentially in Vancouver. He was seeing third-pairing minutes in Minnesota but should play a role on Vancouver's power play immediately. Ohgren is a good winger prospect who has yet to make his mark at the NHL level. He too will get a better opportunity in B.C. And Vancouver will also get a first-round pick in 2026, which will probably be a very low first-round pick. Let the rebuild (or retool) begin in Vancouver!
Fantasy impact
Hughes will always be a fantasy stud, regardless of where he plays. That said, he should improve Minnesota's power play and generally make the Wild a much better offensive (and fantasy) squad. Hughes owners should not worry about this move at this time, since he was not playing well in Vancouver. This should help him in the short term, but keep an eye on him for the long term. The smart money is still on Hughes moving to New Jersey after next season–unless Guerin can find a way to bring his two brothers to the Twin Cities. Rossi, Buium and Ohgren should all have much better opportunities in Vancouver, and all three are now much better fantasy options than before this trade.
