The Minnesota Wild shocked the hockey world on Saturday by being the team to acquire Quinn Hughes in a deal with the Vancouver Canucks. In exchange for Hughes, the Canucks could land the equivalent of four first-round assets: Marco Rossi, Liam Ohgren, Zeev Buium and a 2026 first-round pick. It was the first offer the Wild made and it was enough for the Canucks to pull the trigger.
However, there are some who believe the Canucks may still be upset. I’m not sure if that’s correct.
For starters, the Canucks added a first-rounder and filled a desperate need for a top-six center. The Canucks are desperate for help in the middle of the ice, and Rossi provides them with a solid 24-year-old who can produce 50-60 points.
Second, Ohgren has produced everywhere outside of the NHL. Maybe a change of scenery in Vancouver could really make a difference there. He can play center or wing and will get more opportunities in the top six for the Canucks.
Third, when you lose a defender of Quinn Hughes’ caliber, having a potential top player at the back on any return is crucial. The Canucks hope they have found the answer to Quinn’s loss by acquiring a young blueliner, Zeev Buium, in return. Joe Smith of The Athletic commented: “Zeev Buium is going to be a special, special player… They will miss him [in Minnesota].”
The thought is that Buium could one day approach Hughes-level production. That’s high praise and this deal won’t happen without him involved.
Compare Hughes with Buium at the same age
Back in Vancouver, fans are mourning the loss of Quinn while getting to know the young blueliner they got back. A former 12th overall pick of the Wild in 2024, Buium is widely considered one of the best young blueliners in the NHL.
Entering the 2024 draft, Buium had one of the best defensive college eligibility seasons in a long time. He scored an impressive 50 points in 42 games and helped his Denver Pioneers team to a Frozen Four Championship. Buium, like Hughes, had the advantage of playing his draft-eligible season in college due to his late birthday. In Hughes’ draft year, he was also very productive, with 29 points in 37 games – far fewer than Buium, however.
The consensus among fans now is that Hughes has developed into a top-two defenseman in the league. He could be second only to Cale Makar. Based on the pre-NHL numbers, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Buium have a similar development path. Buium and Hughes both returned for their sophomore seasons in college, and once again Buium was much more productive. Zeev scored 48 points in 41 games, compared to Quinn’s 33 in 32.
Now I’m wondering: can the Canucks further Buium’s development like they did with Hughes? Their statistics at the same age suggest this is entirely possible and more likely.
Buium provides fewer distractions, new direction for the Canucks
With Hughes gone, the culture in Vancouver needs to be recreated, and they could look to Buium as one of the key players for this role. The Canucks now no longer have this dark Hughes cloud hanging over their heads, and they can now focus all their attention on Buium.
If the Canucks were wise, they should try to sign him to an eight-year deal and give him the keys to the blueline this summer before he really breaks out. Buium started the year with 14 points in 31 games in Minnesota. In Vancouver, he will be the top-tier power-play quarterback. He’s still only 20 years old, and if Buium develops well, and the Canucks can add a high-end impact to this year’s draft, Quinn’s departure in Vancouver wouldn’t be the worst after all.
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