Hughes Talks Extension with Wild: How Did the Ex-Canuck Look in His Debut?

There’s always a space that follows a blockbuster trade where everyone’s waiting to see how an elite player will do with his new team. The shock of the move comes first; then the pushback follows. Then comes the space where we all wait to see what happens. Quinn Hughes‘s new chapter began Sunday with the Minnesota Wild after he was traded from the Vancouver Canucks at the end of last week.

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His new story started in St. Paul. No surprise to those who have watched him closely with his old team, Hughes’ new chapter began well.

Hughes Got His First Wild Goal and Played Nearly Half the Game

In fact, it couldn’t have gone much better. Hughes scored in his Minnesota debut, logged nearly 27 minutes, ran the top power play, and helped the Wild roll past Boston 6–2. But beyond what you see in the box score, the most interesting part was how normal it all looked with Hughes in a different sweater. Given just how strange the circumstances were, who would have expected this kind of calm beginning?

Hughes arrived and immediately fit. Minnesota asked him to do what he always does. Nothing special, just be himself — and that’s pretty special in itself. They put him beside Brock Faber, put the puck on his stick, and let him play the game he always plays. Make the reads, move the puck quickly, and clear the path for his new teammates.

Hughes Made It All Look Easy

His goal wasn’t anything fancy. Early in the third, Hartman dropped the puck back to him, and Hughes just slid it through Swayman’s pads. He saw a lane, didn’t overthink it, and took the shot.

What had to stand out for Hughes’ new teammates was how easy it all must have seemed. He looked like he’d always been with this group in this place. Kiril Kaprizov was flying, the power play hummed, and Hughes didn’t force anything. He didn’t have to. He slid into the way he’s played since entering the NHL.

One Successful Game Is a Small Sample Size, But…

One game doesn’t decide much. But first impressions matter, and this one felt steady, confident, and oddly calm for something that had shaken half the league a few nights earlier. Quinn Hughes simply was Quinn Hughes. That has to make Bill Guerin and the rest of the Wild organization smile.

Hughes is open to sticking around. Michael Russo of The Athletic reports, “Hughes says he’s “extremely open-minded” to stay here long-term because they have an “amazing core,” it’s close to Michigan, and for Guerin “sacking” up and trading so many assets for him. He said he will always remember that it was the Wild that stepped up and not other teams.” Russo added, “One other thing he added in there is that he’ll always remember how the crowd treated him in warmups (standing O as he left warmups).”

Related: What the Canucks Actually Got Back for Quinn Hughes