Getty

The Minnesota Wild made a bold move by landing Quinn Hughes, but the trade didn't come without a massive gamble.

The 2025-26 NHL season was nothing short of a horror show for the Vancouver Canucks, who not only came nowhere close to the Stanley Cup Playoffs but also got zero luck in the NHL Draft Lottery, dropping to third overall, while the Toronto Maple Leafs, who missed the playoffs for the first time in a decade, earned the first overall pick.

The Canucks also made several difficult moves during the season, the most painful of which was trading captain and former Norris Trophy winner Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild in return for defenseman Zeev Buium, centers Marco Rossi and Liam Ohgren, as well as a first-round draft pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.

It brought an end to the tenure of easily the most talented and best defenseman in team history; meanwhile, Hughes went on to set the Wild franchise records for both points (53) and assists (48) by a defenseman in a single regular season, and he set the NHL record for the most assists (29) in his first 25 games with a new franchise.

He’s also a pending unrestricted free agent next offseason, and is eligible to sign an extension this offseason. Will he?

Former Vancouver Canucks Captain Quinn Hughes Speaks Honestly About His Future With The Wild

Hughes helped the Wild win a Stanley Cup Playoff series for the first time since 2015, beating the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Quarterfinal in six games before having to face the powerful Colorado Avalanche.

Unfortunately for Hughes and the Wild, they were eliminated by the Avalanche in five games. Two days later, Hughes was asked if he would be open to re-signing with the Wild during their season-ending media availability session.

According to Hughes, he’s open to the idea.

“I mean, I really like it here. We’ll see what Billy (Guerin, Wild general manager) wants to do,” Hughes said. “Again, we’re not even 36 hours removed so, it’s a tough loss but I would definitely be open to re-signing here.”

Hughes continued:

“You play the third-best team in the League in the first round, you play the best team in the League in the second round. That Dallas series was a massive win for us,” Hughes said. “They were a great team and tough to beat them. Then we ran into a really good Colorado team that, frankly, has been in the mix every year the last five, six, seven years. Battle tested and they were the better team.

The Canucks Made Major Changes During The Season

Not only did the Canucks trade Hughes to the Wild in December, but they also jettisoned multiple other players as the campaign went along. They sent Kiefer Sherwood to the San Jose Sharks, while trading Conor Garland to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Additionally, defenseman Tyler Myers was traded to the Dallas Stars.

Following the season, the Canucks made a major change in leadership, dismissing GM Patrik Allvin; they’ve since hired former forward Ryan Johnson to fill that role, while also welcoming back franchise icons Daniel and Henrik Sedin in executive leadership roles.