Quinn Hughes has been traded for a 2026 first-round pick, Marco Rossi, Liam Öhgren and Zeev Buium.
The Vancouver Canucks shocked the hockey world on Friday as they traded captain Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild. In return, Vancouver will receive a 2026 first-round pick, Marco Rossi, Liam Öhgren and Zeev Buium. Despite trade rumours linking Hughes to Eastern Conference teams, Hughes stays in the West and will now play in "State of Hockey".
In a press release, Jim Rutherford said, "We would like to thank Quinn for his time with the Vancouver Canucks," said Jim Rutherford. "Quinn is a great person, a great player, and one of the greatest Canucks of all time. With the circumstances surrounding JT and now Quinn, we are fortunate to acquire these very good young players from Minnesota. They will be a key part of the rebuild that we are currently in, giving us a bright future moving forward. The hockey club will continue to build with talented young players using that as a blueprint to become a contender sooner rather than later."
As for Patrik Allvin, he said, "Like Jim, I would also like to thank Quinn for everything thing he has done in Vancouver," said Allvin. "Quinn played hard, lead by example and did a lot of very good things for the Canucks. Trading away a player of this caliber is never easy and easy decision to make, but it was one we had to do to make our team better. 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."
Rossi has been a named linked to the Canucks from last off-season. The 24-year-old left-shot center has 13 points in 17 games this season and is averaging 18:06 of ice time. Listed at 5'9", 182 lbs, Rossi has 114 points in 202 career games.
As for Liam Öhgren, he is a 21-year-old winger from Sweden. Initially drafted 19th overall in 2022, he has seven points in 46 career NHL games. Öhgren has played with Jonathan Lekkerimäki before, as the two came through the Djurgårdens IF program in Sweden.
The third player coming back is Buium, who is a 20-year-old left-shot American defenceman. This season, he has 14 points in 31 games and is averaging 18:28 per game. Buium ranks second in rookie points this year and has already played four games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Lastly, Vancouver adds another first-rounder to their 2026 draft class. If they do not trade it away, it will be the first time since 2014 that the Canucks use two first-round picks. In 2014, Vancouver selected Jake Virtanen sixth overall and Jared McCann at 24.
Hughes' first game back at Rogers Arena will be next season as Minnesota has already visited Vancouver. As for Hughes' first game against the Canucks, that is scheduled for April 2. As for Vancouver, they return home from their five-game road trip on December 27.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site:
Canucks’ Poor Home-Ice Record Reflected In These Particular Stats
Vancouver Canucks Fans Showing Frustration Both Online And At Rogers Arena This Season
Could The Canucks Trade Quinn Hughes To The Washington Capitals?
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 or creating your own post in our community forum.
