The Minnesota Wild paid a king’s ransom to acquire Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks.
They sent away major assets, including Marco Rossi, Zeev Buium, Liam Ohgren, and a 2026 first round pick. So far, it has worked for the Wild. It has solidified them as true cup contenders.
It wasn’t a bad deal for the Canucks either. They will see the fruits of their labor in the coming years instead of immediately like the Wild will. The most valuable asset they gained was surely Zeev Buium, who at best, could end up being a Hughes-like type of defenseman in a couple years.
However, this doesn’t all mean that Minnesota is where Quinn Hughes himself wanted to end up. In fact, it was recently revealed where he preferred to end up.
Quinn Hughes Wasn’t Wanting Minnesota in a Trade
ST PAUL, MINNESOTA – JANUARY 10: Quinn Hughes #43 of the Minnesota Wild skates with the puck against Emil Heineman #51 and Tony DeAngelo #77 of the New York Islanders in the first period at Grand Casino Arena on January 10, 2026 in St Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
Your first thought was probably the New Jersey Devils, wasn’t it? It would’ve been mine too. It’s not to say he didn’t want to go, but we now know where he truly wanted to end up via trade.
On 32 Thoughts, a podcast hosted by Sportsnet’s Elliot Friedman, he revealed Hughes actually wanted to go to Detroit.
Bryan Logan of Clutchpoints reported on the implication from Friedman:
“It is now rumored that Hughes wanted to go to the Detroit Red Wings when the Vancouver Canucks were entertaining a trade, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.
It makes sense that if Hughes did not get traded to, or want to be traded to, the New Jersey Devils to play with his brothers Jack and Luke, he would want to be in Detroit. He played for two seasons with the U.S. National Development team, which is based in Plymouth, Michigan, just a half hour west of Detroit. Then, he played two seasons with the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. That is also less than an hour outside of Detroit.
Logan details what Friedman claimed was the dealbreaker for both sides:
Still, there were some sticking points for a deal to be done with the Red Wings. Originally, it was believed that the Wings did not want to part ways with Simon Edvinsson, as Brennan McClain of Pro Hockey Rumors points out. Friedman is now saying that the lack of commitment to an extension is what froze the deal.”
Could Hughes Decline an Extension With Minnesota?
GettyST PAUL, MINNESOTA – DECEMBER 14: Quinn Hughes #43 of the Minnesota Wild looks on against the Boston Bruins in the second period at Grand Casino Arena on December 14, 2025 in St Paul, Minnesota. The Wild defeated the Bruins 6-2. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
The question was already about whether or not Hughes would re-sign with the Wild anyway. He is eligible for extension in the 2026 off-season, and will be a free agent in 2027 if no deal is done in Minnesota.
This may be a slight loss of leverage for the Wild if Hughes wanted to walk to Detroit in 2027. However, the Wild still have the power to trade him if he makes it obvious he doesn’t want to remain in the State of Hockey long-term.
Minnesota will take this leverage, as well as potentially being Stanley Cup champions, to the negotiation table this summer.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Quinn Hughes Wasn’t Hoping to End Up With Wild: Report appeared first on Heavy Sports.