That isn’t especially surprising, as trade rumors have surrounded the former Norris Trophy-winning defenseman for some time and have dominated the recent conversation around the Vancouver Canucks and their captain.
But the team Hughes is heading to, the Minnesota Wild, is a bit of a shocker.
It’s a bold, all-in move for a Minnesota team that’s been stuck in the middle for some time. It also has a chance to backfire. As for the Canucks, it’s the end of an era – although not a particularly successful one. Could they ultimately come out as the winner of this deal?
We break it all down with some instant trade grades:
Minnesota Wild trade grade: B
Hughes is one of the best defenseman in the NHL and just 26 years old. He’s also a free agent after next season.
If Hughes is still playing games for the Wild in the fall of 2027, this deal will be a big win. If he’s not, history might not look back on this deal as kindly. That depends, though, on what the Wild do in the playoffs.
Minnesota has lost nine consecutive playoff series, dating back to 2015. The Wild have only advanced past the second round once in their history, and that was back in 2003.
If Hughes can help Minnesota get over the hump it will all be worth it, even if he walks when his deal expires.
Vancouver Canucks trade grade: C
The situation in Vancouver was untenable, and the season had already slipped away, with the Canucks sitting last in the NHL. After trading their best player – who was averaging an astounding 27:26 of ice time per night – the Canucks have assured they will be firmly in the mix for the first pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.
Vancouver did get some intriguing pieces back in this deal, including a 2026 first-round pick. They also landed center Marco Rossi (himself a frequent target of trade rumors), rookie defenseman Zeev Buium and winger Liam Ohgren.
Rossi, the ninth overall pick in the 2020 draft, has 13 points in 17 games this season. Buium, who just turned 20 years old this month, was the 12th overall pick in the 2024 draft and has 14 points in his first 31 career games. Ohgren, the 19th overall pick in 2022, is in his third season but has not recorded any points in 18 games this year.
Buium has a lot of promise, and Rossi is a solid player, but they don’t measure up to Hughes. The American, who will likely be a core piece of Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics in February, was voted the best defenseman in the NHL in 2023-24 and finished third in the Norris Trophy voting last year.
You never want to get in a position where you have to trade your best player, but the Canucks seem to have at least done better than many expected when it comes to making the best of a bad situation. And if Hughes walks from the Wild in two years (potentially to play with his younger brothers, who are on the New Jersey Devils) this won’t feel quite as bad.
