ST. PAUL, Minn - There was no dramatic countdown, no long-simmering master plan, and no perfect moment circled on the calendar for Minnesota Wild President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Bill Guerin.

But when the opportunity to acquire a franchise defenseman finally presented itself, Guerin didn’t wait for ideal timing or better conditions. He acted because, in his words, waiting would have meant missing it entirely.

"Because it's Quinn Hughes. And I don't know what the right moment is, but if you wait for it, you're gonna miss it. I don't know if the weather had to be warmer or something or, but no, when it's a player of this caliber, the right time's always now."

The Wild traded Liam Ohgren, Marco Rossi, Zeev Buium and a 2026 first round draft pick for Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks on Friday. A trade that no one saw coming and one that shocked the hockey world.

Fans, Media React To Canucks Trading Quinn Hughes To Wild: 'Darkest Day In Franchise History' What some Canucks followers are calling the darkest day in franchise history could be a game-changing moment for the Minnesota Wild.

Opportunities like this don’t come often, and Guerin made it clear he wasn’t interested in hesitating when one finally arrived.

“You have to give something to get something,” he said. “You’re not going to fool anybody with a player like this.”

Guerin acknowledged the difficulty of moving on from three young players the organization drafted, developed, and believed in. He spoke glowingly about the three but that human element didn’t change the hockey reality.

If Hughes wasn’t available, those players would still be in Minnesota and Guerin and the Wild would have been totally comfortable in that. But as Guerin said, this deal would not happen if Buium was not in it.

"I don’t think so. Look, Zeev, I love that kid. I mean he’s a special kid. He’s a special human," Guerin said. "Getting to know him and his family - Vancouver got three really good young quality guys. If Hughes wasn’t available, they’d still be here, and I was totally fine with that. But like I said before, you have to give something to get something."

The Central Division Just Became Hockey’s Ultimate Arms Race The Central Division now boasts hockey's elite defensemen, igniting an unprecedented talent showdown that will redefine NHL supremacy.

This Central Division that the Wild are a part of is no joke. The Colorado Avalanche are first in the NHL and the Dallas Stars are second. At the time of publication, the Wild are seventh in the NHL and third in the Central.

But Guerin believes this move to get Hughes makes them Stanley Cup Contenders.

"Well, I've always said that I believe in our players. I believe in this team," he said. "I believe in what we're doing here and I think adding somebody like Quinn, I think the guys are happy. And you know what? We have an extremely competitive division. You're going through the meat grinder here. We respect our opponents, but we want to do our own thing too. We want to compete for the Stanley Cup."

The Wild’s window is officially open. With Matt Boldy emerging as a star, Kirill Kaprizov committed on an eight-year extension, and now a franchise defenseman anchoring the blue line, the Wild weren't going to wait for the moment to arrive. They decided to seize it.

Guerin didn’t just make a trade. He drew a line.

“When it’s a player of this caliber, the right time’s always now,” Guerin said. “If you wait for it, you’re gonna miss it.”

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

Recent Minnesota Wild Stories

Wild Acquire Quinn Hughes From Vancouver, Sending Marco Rossi, Zeev Buium, Plus More Wild lands Norris-winning defenseman Quinn Hughes in a high-stakes blockbuster.

- When The Ice Shrinks, The Wild's Game Is Built To Hold Up.

- 'Sometimes You Gotta Look Yourself In The Mirror': Matt Boldy's Message Has Now Become The Wild's Mantra.

- Wild Place Jake Middleton and Mats Zuccarello On The Injured Reserve.

- Wild Recall Defenseman David Jiricek From Iowa.

- A Historic Start: Wild's Jesper Wallstedt Joins Nearly Century-Old Company With Record Rookie Surge.