Canucks’ Quinn Hughes Trade Isn’t Aging Well

Billy Heyen argues that the Vancouver Canucks are on the losing end of their blockbuster trade that sent superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild. Faced with his approaching free agency, Vancouver traded Hughes last season to avoid losing him without compensation. However, Heyen contends that parting with a near-generational talent makes the deal difficult to justify in hindsight.

In return, Vancouver acquired Marco Rossi, Liam Ohgren, Zeev Buium, and a 2026 first-round draft pick used on Adam Novotny. While Rossi and Ohgren have shown solid flashes and Novotny continues to develop, Buium was recently demoted to the Canucks' third pairing, which Heyen notes diminishes the overall return.