Across the league, fans were shocked to see that the Vancouver Canucks not only traded defenseman Quinn Hughes but traded him to the Minnesota Wild. It felt like it was a foregone conclusion that he would end up in New Jersey with his brothers, but the Wild put together the best offer.
The Wild certainly needed to have a big offer because they were competing with five other teams, one of them being the Devils. However, the Buffalo Sabres also reportedly were involved 'to some degree.'
The winning offer from the Minnesota Wild included the following:
- Marco Rossi (F)
- Liam Ohgren (F)
- Zeev Buium (D)
- 2026 first-round pick
Marco Rossi is the most recognized name in this trade package as he has 202 NHL career games and has been a productive player in Minnesota. In each of the past two seasons, he has had over 20 goals and is only 24 years old.
Ohgren is a former first-round pick who has seen some time at the NHL level with 46 games over the past three seasons. The talent is certainly there, but he hasn't seen enough ice time in Minnesota to make an impact with an average of 10:47 per game. He will get that chance now in Vancouver.
Zeev Buium is also a former first-round pick who was selected 12th overall in the 2024 NHL Draft but has already developed into a full-time NHL player with 31 games played this season. He is a player that the Canucks can build their blue line around.
While the Buffalo Sabres don't have exactly the same pieces, they certainly could have built a comparable return for Vancouver.
Buffalo Sabres hypothetical trade package headlined by Bowen Byram
Any trade for Quinn Hughes would be costly and almost inherently feel like an overspend. However, he is a player who is just getting into the prime of his career, and for the Sabres to have him and Rasmus Dahlin as part of the same blueline would be a huge advantage.
If the Sabres were serious about trading for the star defenseman this is probably what a trade offer would have had to look like:
- Bowen Byram (D)
- Noah Ostlund (F)
- Konsta Helenius (F)
- 2026 first-round pick
The framework is very similar to what the Wild ultimately got Hughes for with an established NHL player, two rising prospects, and a first-round pick. While the Sabres would probably offer Owen Power or Byram, I picked Byram here because Vancouver had reported interest in the defenseman during the summer.
As for that second piece, the Sabres probably could offer up Isak Rosen or Ostlund but Ostlund was the pick as he can play center or on the wing. The desire to add Rossi indicates the Canucks could have been in need of a center and that is why Ostlund was in the trade package.
Regardless of who the first two players were, it would be hard to complete a trade that didn't include Konsta Helenius, who is the Sabres' best forward prospect. He has been playing exceptionally well in Rochester, with 23 points in 25 games, and is on track to become an excellent NHL player in the near future.
The Minnesota Wild ultimately were able to get the deal done, but an offer like this should have at least given the Vancouver Canucks something to think about. The Buffalo Sabres probably didn't get close to this in the end but adding Quinn Hughes would have been a huge win for a franchise that is trying to turn things around. It not only gives them a more talented player on the ice but signals to the other players in the locker room, like Dahlin, Tage Thompson, and Alex Tuch, that they are committed to winning.