The Vancouver Canucks traded captain and 2024 Norris Trophy winner Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild in a blockbuster deal Friday.
In return for the coveted defenseman, Vancouver will receive center Marco Rossi, defenseman Zeev Buium, forward prospect Liam Ohgren and a 2026 first-round pick.
“We would like to thank Quinn for his time with the Vancouver Canucks,” Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford said in a statement announcing the deal. “Quinn is a great person, a great player and one of the greatest Canucks of all time. With the circumstances surrounding JT (Miller) and now Quinn, we are fortunate to acquire these very good young players from Minnesota. They will be a key part of the rebuild we are currently in, giving us a bright future moving forward.”
Hughes, 26, leaves the Canucks as one of the most accomplished players in franchise history, amassing 432 points in 459 games since being drafted seventh overall in 2018. The two-time All-Star has 23 points (two goals, 21 assists) in 26 games this season and is under contract through 2026-27 with a $7.85 million cap hit.
Minnesota adds Hughes to a blue line built for a push in the top-heavy Central Division, looking to find some long-awaited playoff success. The Wild have not won a playoff series in 10 years and haven’t advanced past the second round since 2003.
The Wild can open extension talks with Hughes on July 1 and, under current rules, offer an eight-year deal before the maximum term drops to seven in September.
For Vancouver, the move signals a full reset after an 11-17-3 start. The Canucks targeted premium young assets and landed three recent first-rounders.
“Quinn played hard, lead by example and did a lot of very good things for the Canucks,” general manager Patrick Allvin said. “Trading away a player of this caliber is never an easy decision to make, but it was one we had to do to make our team better. We are so excited to add a solid center in Marco, a good young blueliner in Zeev and a versatile forward in Liam.”
Rossi, 24, was the ninth overall pick in 2020 and is coming off a 24-goal, 60-point campaign. He signed a three-year, $15 million deal in the offseason and has 13 points in 17 games this season.
Buium, 20, was the No. 12 pick in 2024 and has quickly transitioned to the NHL with 14 points in 31 games this season as a rookie. The 21-year-old Ohgren, the 19th pick in 2022, has 46 NHL games under his belt and projects as a middle-six winger. He hasn’t recorded a point in 18 NHL games this season.
The 2026 first-round pick gives Vancouver additional flexibility as it reshapes its roster around a younger core. For Minnesota, the calculus is clear: add an elite, puck-driving No. 1 defenseman for two playoff runs and try to convert a sustained surge into spring success.
–Field Level Media
