BREAKING: Insider Chris Johnston notes that the Wild, however, will be the only team that can sign him for eight years, and even include a front-loaded structure with unlimited signing bonuses. All that goes away when the new CBA rules come into effect on Sept. 15.
Hughes, 26, a superstar d-man, is a Norris Trophy winner, and is regarded as the second-best defenseman in hockey, behind only Cale Makar.
As for the massive return the Canucks got, Buium is a stud, one of the top young, promising blueliners in the league with top-pair upside. Rossi is a skilled, though undersized center who has 2C upside. And Ohgren is the third former first-rounder Vancouver receives, a forward who is said to have middle-six upside.
The Wild jumped into the Hughes sweepstakes about a week ago.
Talking to people around the league, the 1 player they feel the Canucks did great on was defenseman Zeev Buium, this kid is going to be a good one.
Apparently, the Wild only began a serious pitch with the Canucks a week ago. But there were other serious contenders.
Sources indicating New Jersey and Washington had strong enough packages on the table to get it done for Quinn Hughes.
But Minny upped the stakes and the deal was ultimately struck between the Wild and Canucks.
Per insider Marco D’Amico, the New Jersey Devils (home of Hughes’s two brothers) and the Washington Capitals “had strong enough packages on the table to get it done for Quinn Hughes. But Minny upped the stakes.”
