On the early afternoon of Friday December 12, the Vancouver Canucks traded 26 year old defensemen Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild. In return the Canucks received youngsters Marco Rossi, Liam Öhgren, and Zeev Buium as well as the Wild’s 2026 first round draft pick.
Hughes is a James Norris Memorial trophy winner, handed out to the best defencemen in the NHL, and was considered a bright spot on a bleak Canucks team in need of a rebuild. Hughes contract expired in 2027, and rumours claimed that he desired to either play for a Stanley Cup contender or with his two brothers on the New Jersey Devils. Few expected him to get traded to the Wild, and even fewer expected him to be moved this early before the trade deadline.
The Canucks are currently at the bottom of the NHL league-wide standings, and many fans are pressuring ownership to “tank” the season in hopes of receiving a high a draft pick which would allow the organization to draft Canadian prospect Gavin McKenna.