A surprise blockbuster trade late Friday night saw the Vancouver Canucks trade captain Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild ending weeks of speculation around the star defenseman’s future.
The Canucks moved Hughes to Minnesota in exchange for center Marco Rossi, defense prospect Zeev Buium, winger Liam Ohgren and a 2026 first-round draft pick. In the aftermath of the deal, Hughes’ agent Pat Brisson offered insight into how the situation unfolded and how his client is handling the transition.
Per Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre, Brisson praised the Canucks for how the process was handled, stressing that Quinn Hughes did not request a trade at any point.
Brisson said Vancouver remained “professional” throughout discussions, even as interest from other teams intensified.
“Agent Pat Brisson praised Canucks for how “professional” they were handling Quinn Hughes. No trade demand was made, but Brisson said Quinn is relieved the situation is resolved and excited to be going to Minnesota where he will play playoff hockey,” MacIntyre reported.
While confirming he spoke with multiple teams that expressed interest in acquiring Hughes, Brisson mentioned that no assurances were given regarding a contract extension.
“The one thing I made certain about, under no circumstances could we guarantee a contract extension with anyone.”
Hughes remains under contract through the 2026-27 season with a cap hit of approximately $7.85 million which gives Minnesota two full seasons of control but no long-term commitment beyond that. Under NHL rules, the Wild will not be eligible to negotiate an extension until July 1, 2026.
Patrik Allvin addresses trading away Quinn Hughes
Following the trade, Vancouver Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin acknowledged the difficulty of moving a player of Hughes’ stature. He spoke of the impact the defenceman had both on the ice and in the locker room in an official statement.
“Quinn played hard, led by example and did a lot of very good things for the Canucks. Trading away a player of this caliber is never an easy decision to make, but it was one we had to do to make our team better,” he said.
He also stressed that the organization believed the trade was necessary to improve the team moving forward.
“We are so excited to add a solid centre in Marco, a good young blueliner in Zeev and a versatile forward in Liam. This year’s draft is a strong one, so acquiring a first-round pick was also a big part of this deal,” he added.
He added that Vancouver is thrilled to bring in centre Marco Rossi, young defenceman Zeev Buium, and versatile forward Liam Ohgren, while noting that acquiring a first-round pick in what is expected to be a strong draft class was a key component of the deal.
Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford mentioned that the team was fortunate to bring in strong young players from Minnesota and that they are expected to be a key part of Vancouver’s rebuild.
Edited by Anjum Rajonno
