The Minnesota Wild had one of their most memorable seasons in franchise history last winter and a big reason was their decision to trade for Quinn Hughes. Hughes, who was acquired from the Vancouver Canucks for Marco Rossi, Liam Ohgren, Zeev Buium and a 2026 first-round pick last December, made an immediate impact for the Wild and helped them get out of the first round for the first time since 2015. But he also transformed the Wild into legitimate Stanley Cup contenders for the first time in franchise history.
What Hughes did for the Wild has created a summer of anticipation and a contract that could have him footing the bill for team dinners this season. But it also creates an interesting question of what would have happened if the Wild were either outbid or bowed out of the sweepstakes.
In the end, the Wild’s bold move was exactly what they needed to propel the franchise forward and potentially open themselves up to make a serious run at a championship in the coming years.
The Wild have no regrets after trading for Quinn Hughes
The Wild had a lot of the pieces in place for this year’s team before Hughes arrived, but their ceiling was much lower thanks to the youth in the system. Rossi was the team’s second-line center going into the year and Buium was a teenager getting his first prolonged taste of life in the NHL. Ohgren also was a disappointment after failing to beat out Marcus Johansson and the Wild felt like they were following Guerin’s five-year plan to win The Cup.
In some ways, it could have led to a big payoff. The Wild were not an explosive team, relying on Matt Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov to supply most of the offense. While that formula helped take the Vegas Golden Knights to six games the year before, the supporting cast was mainly a projection more than a legitimate conteder.
Rossi likely was what he was at this point, but Buium had the highest ceiling coming off a strong collegiate career at the University of Denver. Had he stayed in Minnesota, he likely would have kept growing alongside Zach Bogosian, who made such a positive impact on his career Buium chose the No. 24 in his honor when he was traded to Vancouver.Â
Future seasons also could help Buium forge his way into the conversation as one of the top offensive defensemen in the NHL, but that wasn’t going to happen this year – at least not in the way that Hughes did when he arrived in Minnesota.
Ohgren was also a player who may have been a year away from hitting his ceiling. While he didn’t beat out Johansson for a top-six job, he could have filled that role after Johansson and Mats Zuccarello departed in free agency. Vladimir Tarasenko’s time in Minnesota also appears to be over and Ohgren could have had a bigger opportunity this fall to compete for a NHL roster spot.
While there was upside, there likely wasn’t enough to get out of the first round. Getting a world class player like Hughes will help any team chase a championship. After making his debut with Minnesota on Dec. 14, the Wild ranked seventh in the NHL with 178 goals and third with 41 power play goals, which helped Minnesota keep their spot in a competitive Central Division.
That’s also not including the impact Hughes had on other players. Brock Faber’s offensive game grew with Hughes as his partner, scoring nine goals and putting up 36 points with a plus-16 rating in 48 games. Kaprizov (27) and Boldy (25) ranked eighth and 11th among all skaters in goals scored after Hughes arrived and it lightened the load on a team that had significant questions up the middle.
Kaprizov and Boldy may have scored at the same level if they didn’t add Hughes, but those two players may have not given the Wild the star power it needed to shape this offseason.
For argument’s sake, let’s say that Hughes agreed to a contract with the Detroit Red Wings. The framework for a trade was already in place and if Hughes goes to Detroit, the Red Wings likely make the playoffs and Dylan Larkin never asks for a trade. Even if Steve Yzerman’s price for Larkin is sky high at the moment, the possibility to trade for him likely doesn’t exist if Hughes lands there, giving Detroit a game-changer to pair with Moritz Seider on the top line.
It also changes the complexion of who the Wild could have targeted at the trade deadline and this summer. With the need for a top-line center, the Wild may have pulled the trigger on a trade for Vincent Trocheck, but may have had to give up one of the three players that was sent to Vancouver anyway to complete the deal.
The Wild also would have had more money to spend in free agency, but they would have been diving into the clearance rack with most of the top free agents signed before the market opened on July 1.
With Hughes likely getting a massive pay day ahead of next season, it may have seemed enticing to let the kids play and let Minnesota’s core form organically. But anybody who watched the Wild last year knows how much of a difference Hughes made and his arrival may have helped Minnesota get out of the dreaded middle and into championship contention.
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