Did Canucks Win the Hughes Trade?: Why the Buium Return is The Key

The Minnesota Wild shocked the hockey world by being the team to acquire Quinn Hughes in a deal with the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday. In exchange for Hughes, the Canucks were able to 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 was enough for the Canucks to pull the trigger.

However, there are some who believe the Canucks may have still gotten fleeced. I’m not sure that’s accurate.

To start, the Canucks added a first-rounder and filled a desperate need in a top-six center. The Canucks have been desperately seeking help in the middle of the ice, and Rossi provides them with a solid 24-year-old capable of producing 50-60 points.

Second, Ohgren has produced everywhere outside of the NHL. Perhaps a change of scenery in Vancouver could really spark something there. He can play center or wing and will have more opportunities in the top six for the Canucks.

Third, when you lose a defenseman of Quinn Hughes’ caliber, a potential top-pairing guy on the back end in any return is crucial. The Canucks hope they have found their answer to Quinn’s loss in acquiring a young stud blueliner, Zeev Buium, in return. Joe Smith of The Athletic noted, “Zeev Buium is going to be a special, special player… They’re going to miss him [in Minnesota].”

The thought is, one day, Buium could approach Hughes-level production. That’s high praise and this deal doesn’t get done without him involved.

Comparing Hughes with Buium at the Same Age

Back in Vancouver, fans are mourning Quinn’s loss, while getting to know the young blueliner they got back. Buium, a former 12th overall pick of the Wild in 2024, is widely considered one of the best young blueliners in the NHL.

Coming into the 2024 draft, Buium had one of the best draft-eligible seasons point-wise of a defensive college prospect in a long time. He put up an astounding 50 points in 42 games, helping lead his Denver Pioneers team to a Frozen Four Championship. Buium, like Hughes, had the benefit of playing his draft-eligible season in college because of his late birthday. In Hughes’ draft year, he was very productive as well, putting up 29 points in the 37 games — far less than Buium, however.

The consensus among fans now is that Hughes has developed into a top-two defenseman in the league. He might be second only to Cale Makar. Based on the pre-NHL numbers, it wouldn’t be crazy to see Buium have a similar development path. Buium and Hughes both returned for their sophomore seasons at college, and yet again, Buium was far more productive. Zeev put up 48 points in 41 games compared to Quinn’s 33 in 32.

It has me wondering now, can the Canucks foster Buium’s development the way they did with Hughes? Their stats at the same age suggest this is very possible and more likely.

Buium Brings Less Distractions, New Direction for the Canucks

Now with Hughes gone, the culture needs to be recreated in Vancouver, and they could look to Buium as one of the main guys for this role. The Canucks now don’t have this dark Hughes cloud looming over their heads, and they can now direct all their attention to Buium.

If the Canucks were wise, they should look to sign him on an eight-year deal and give him the keys to the blueline this summer before he truly breaks out. Buium started the year with 14 points in 31 games in Minnesota. In Vancouver, he will be the top-unit power play quarterback. He is only 20 years of age and if Buium properly develops, and the Canucks can add a high-end impact forward to build around at this year’s draft, Quinn’s departure wouldn’t be the worst thing after all in Vancouver.

Next: Canucks’ New Guy Helps Surprise the Devils