A Quinn-tessential Addition

“Because it’s Quinn Hughes,” said Wild President of Hockey Operation and General Manager Bill Guerin, when asked why he felt like it was the right moment to bring a player like Hughes to Minnesota. “Bringing a player like Quinn Hughes here, you don’t get that opportunity often.” Guerin, who was hired by Minnesota in August of 2019, took arguably his biggest swing on Friday night when he sent defenseman Zeev Buium and forwards Liam Öhgren and Marco Rossi, along with a 2026 First-Round pick, to Vancouver for Hughes.

The former Canucks captain, two-time All-Star and Norris Trophy winner, made his Wild debut in front of a sold-out crowd at Grand Casino Arena on Sunday night. “It was pretty special, honestly,” said Hughes after his debut. “I wasn’t expecting that. I know it’s a hockey market, but that was exciting.” All the 26-year-old defenseman did in his first game in a Wild sweater was skate a game-high 26:55, record three shots and score his third goal of the season. Not bad for a guy who left his equipment behind in New Jersey the night before.

His impact was felt almost immediately as he set up an early scoring opportunity for the Wild minutes into the first period with a nifty drop pass to Vladimir Tarasenko who found an open Brock Faber in the slot, whose shot missed just wide of the net. “The thing about a puck-moving guy like him is, he puts people in good spots,” said Wild Head Coach John Hynes after the game. “We are excited to have him, you see the type of the player he is, and he fits in well with our group and the way we want to play.” Both Hughes and Hynes admitted that it will take a few games for him to really settle into the lineup and build chemistry with the guys, but if Sunday night was a glimpse into the future of Wild hockey, fans all around the State of Hockey should be excited.

Bringing Quinn Hughes to Minnesota is a sign from Guerin that he believes his team is ready to win and win now. The Wild, who has the fourth-most points in the NHL (43), keeps finding ways to win despite a roster decimated with injuries. Over its last 18 games, Minnesota owns a 14-2-2 record (.833) with wins over the top three teams in the NHL: Colorado, Dallas and Carolina. With the addition of Hughes, Minnesota has one of the most formidable “big three’s” in the league with him joining Matt Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov—who both rank in the top 10 in the NHL in goals this season. Pair those three with the Swedish goaltending tandem of Filip Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt, who combine for the fourth-best goals against average in the NHL (2.37), this is a team that can make noise for years to come.

After four seasons of being handcuffed by salary cap constraints due to the buyouts of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, Guerin and the Wild can finally be players in free agency and the trade market—and Guerin has now proven he’s not afraid to take a swing when the opportunity presents itself. A team in its 25th season, in a state that eats, sleeps and breathes hockey, seems poised to make that elusive Stanley Cup run.