The rest of the NHL did know that Quinn Hughes was available.
Before the superstar defenseman was traded from the Vancouver Canucks to the Minnesota Wild on Friday night, five other teams were involved in negotiations.
NHL insider Pierre LeBrun reported Saturday that the other teams who made a play were:
- New York Rangers
- Detroit Red Wings
- New Jersey Devils
- Carolina Hurricanes
- Buffalo Sabres
In the end, the Wild made an offer that the Canucks couldn't refuse.
Vancouver will get promising 20-year old defenseman Zeev Buium, talented mid-20s forward Marco Rossi, a forward prospect Liam Ohgren, and a first-round pick.
It makes sense that other teams would want Hughes. He averages nearly a point per game for his career, including 23 points in 26 games this season.
The Canucks have had a rough start to the season, and this is a move geared toward the future.
Hughes is under contract through the end of the 2026-27 season. There's at least some belief that Hughes will have a chance to be extended in Minnesota. For any team looking to get Hughes, they'd be considering whether they think they'd have Hughes for just a season-and-a-half, if or if they'd have him for a decade.
All told, the Wild got it done. A handful of other teams trade, but they came up empty.
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