Wild Got Robbed on Quinn Hughes Trade

The Vancouver Canucks and the Minnesota Wild shook up the entire NHL with their blockbuster trade. The deal sent former Canucks captain and 2023-2024 Norris Trophy winner Quinn Hughes to Minnesota in exchange for top young players Liam Ohgren and Zeev Buium, center Marco Rossi and a 2026 first-round pick.

The Wild land a superstar defender in Hughes, while the Canucks secure an impressive haul of players and assets. The deal ends months of speculation and rumors about Hughes' standing within the Canucks organization.

The Wild have to feel good about this deal. They land one of the best defensemen in the entire NHL. He's scored at least 68 points in four consecutive seasons, surpassing 70 points in each of the last three campaigns. In 26 games this season, he has two goals and 23 points, putting him right on pace for another 70 to 80-point season.

The Wild might have won the trade initially, but in the long-term, Minnesota got absolutely robbed by the Canucks.

Nov 11, 2025; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Wild defenseman Zeev Buium (8) carries the puck out of his zone against the San Jose Sharks in the first period at Grand Casino Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images | Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

Buium's Future Greatness

The biggest reason to name the Canucks clear-cut winners is the fact that they landed Zeev Buium. Yes, the Wild landed the best player in the deal right now. It's why they should be given the immediate advantage in any trade analysis.

But the Canucks landed the player that will be the best one in this deal when it's all said and done. Buium, the 12th-overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, is easily the best defensive prospect in the entire NHL.

Now, he's the key to the next phase of hockey in Vancouver. Buium is a player that can anchor a power play and top penalty killing units while playing 25 minutes a night.

Right now, he's a 20-year-old rookie going through the ups and downs of being a first year player in this league. But his ceiling is only going to rise and so will his production on the ice.

In a year or two, Buium will be among the best at his position. That's a guarantee.

Assets Beyond Buium

Adding Buium is the most important piece of all of this, but the Canucks deserve credit for the haul they received in addition to the young defender. Liam Ohgren is another former first-round pick. and while he's struggled to stick at the NHL level, he will get a fresh start in Vancouver.

Then there's center Marco Rossi. He's scored 20 goals or more in each of the last two seasons, including a career-high 60 points last season.

The knock against him is that he isn't physical enough to withstand the rigors of being a top-line center, but the Canucks don't need him to be that. Instead, they will ask him to anchor the second line behind Elias Pettersson. It's a role that he's ideally suited for, and he should instantly upgrade the forward group in Vancouver.

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