The Vancouver Canucks have turned heads everywhere by trading Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild despite widespread speculation he could land in Detroit or New Jersey.
Detroit Red Wings fans who wanted hometown defenseman Quinn Hughes to come home for Christmas will have to ask Santa for something else.
A bombshell report from Insider Elliotte Friedman revealed that the Vancouver Canucks have traded Hughes, but not to the Red Wings, or to the New Jersey Devils, another team he was widely linked to.
Instead, Hughes has been traded to the Minnesota Wild.
In return, they are receiving Minnesota’s 1st round pick in the 2026 NHL draft, Marco Rossi, Liam Öhgren and Zeev Buium.
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The Red Wings had been one of the betting favorites to land Hughes given his multiple connections to the area. He played locally at the University of Michigan for the Wolverines and the Plymouth-based U.S. National Development Program, and his parents live in the area; Hughes also spends time locally during the summer months.
He was also understandably heavily linked to the Devils, whom his brothers Jack and Luke Hughes play for.
Hughes is not eligible to sign a contract extension until July 1 of 2026, meaning that the Wild paid a considerable price for him if they ultimately are not able to re-sign him.
The former Norris Trophy winner and now officially former team captain of the Canucks has one season left on his current deal.
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