Canucks Trade Quinn Hughes to Wild for Prospects, Pick

The Vancouver Canucks traded star defenseman and team captain Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild on Friday night, ending months of speculation about the 26-year-old's future with the struggling franchise.

In exchange, Vancouver received forwards Marco Rossi and Liam Ohgren, defenseman Zeev Buium and the Wild's first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. All three players acquired by the Canucks were former first-round selections, providing the team with young talent and long-term control as it sits in last place in the league standings. Hughes, who is under contract through the 2026-27 season at an average annual value of $7.85 million, will join Minnesota's already formidable blue line, which includes Brock Faber, Jonas Brodin and Jared Spurgeon. The move marks a significant all-in push by Wild general manager Bill Guerin, who has emphasized building a contender after signing forward Kirill Kaprizov to an extension this offseason.

Hughes, the seventh overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft, has been a cornerstone for Vancouver since his debut in March 2019. He leads all defensemen in franchise history with 371 assists and ranks second with 432 points. Last season, he won the Norris...