Vancouver Canucks have traded star defenseman and captain Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild, in exchange for: defenseman Zeev Buium, forwards Liam Öhgren and Marco Rossi, and a 2026 first-round pick on Dec. 12, Friday night.
Wild forward Matt Boldy described the star defenseman's arrival as a big time move: “It makes our team better. He’s one of the best defensemen, if not the best, in the whole league.”
Speaking in a video posted by SportsNet after confirming the move, Canucks GM Patrik Allvin addressed the words spreading, by clarifying that the trade was not due to the team’s “culture problem.” He explained the team’s difficult decision, stating that:
"We were trying to do everything to convince him to stay... When we were not able to do it, we started the process of looking for potential destinations."
Hughes was drafted seventh overall by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2018 NHL Draft. Since then, Hughes has been named the team captain in 2023, and has won the Norris Trophy in the 2023-24 season, and is considered the best defenseman in canucks’ franchise history.
In the current 2025-26 season, Hughes has 2 goals, 21 assists and 23 points, and in the lead for the longest time on ice for the whole league with an average of 27:26.
The Canucks acquire 3 players from the Wild. Current season performance with Minnesota are:
- Defenseman Zeev Buium: 3 goals, 11 assists, and 14 points.
- Forward Marco Rossi: 4 goals, 9 assists, and 13 points.
- Forward Liam Öhgren: Has appeared in 18 games this season but has recorded no goals, assists, or points.
Along with a 2026 first round draft pick, three of them will move to Vancouver, and will experience the high expectations of the NHL Canadian Market.
The Vancouver Canucks sit at 32nd in the league with 11-17-3 carrying 25 points with the team. Minnesota Wild stand at 3rd with 18-9-5 with 41 points as of Dec. 13, 2025. The Wild now holds high expectations to contend in the Stanley Cup Finals amidst the star defenseman joining the roster.
Hughes is set to become a free agent at the end of the season despite the warm welcomes by fans and the team, and there is no guarantee yet that he'll re-sign a contract extension with the Wild.