The Vancouver Canucks formally turned the page on one of the most significant chapters in franchise history last Friday trading captain and Norris Trophy winner Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild in a blockbuster deal.In return, Vancouver acquired Marco Rossi, Liam Ohgren, highly touted young defenceman Zeev Buium and a 2026 first-round pick. While speaking on Sportsnet’s Hockey Night in Canada, former Canucks defenceman Kevin Bieksa weighed in on the deal and made it clear that while Hughes’ legacy in Vancouver is secure, the spotlight now firmly belongs to Buium.“I was on a flight when the trade broke, and I was like, ‘Wow, great return,’” Bieksa said.While praising the return, Bieksa was careful to stress on Hughes’ place in Canucks history calling him the greatest defenceman the franchise has ever had and the only Norris Trophy winner in team history. Hughes’ tenure, he said, raised the standard for every defenceman who follows.But Bieksa quickly shifted the focus to Buium, a player he believes fans are only beginning to understand.“Zeev Buium, though, getting him back, fans don’t really know,” Bieksa said. “I’ve been on the ice with him a lot of times. He’s one of these new-age, ultra-confident kids. Not a kid who’s nervous, maybe tip-toeing into it.”“He wants to be on the ice 25 minutes a night. He wants to make plays,” Bieksa said. “He’s a little bit bigger than Quinn, and he’s going to defend pretty good and pretty hard.”The comparison to Hughes is unavoidable, but Bieksa pointed instead to Buium’s offensive ceiling and confidence with the puck.“How can you say someone’s going to be like Quinn Hughes?” Bieksa said. “He’s going to get pretty close, and he’s going to make Canucks fans forget about Quinn fairly quickly.”Drafted 12th overall in 2024, Buium signed a three-year entry-level contract with Minnesota before being included in the Hughes deal. Now in his first full NHL season, the 20-year-old defenceman is under team through the 2026-27 campaign and arrives in Vancouver with both opportunity and expectation.Quinn Hughes was ‘relieved’ after the trade per his agentFollowing the blockbuster trade, Quinn Hughes’ agent Pat Brisson shared that the Vancouver Canucks handled the process leading to the defenceman’s move to the Minnesota Wild in a “professional” manner.According to Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre, Brisson said there was no trade demand at any point but that Hughes is relieved the situation has been resolved.“Agent Pat Brisson praised Canucks for how “professional” they were handling Quinn Hughes. No trade demand was made, but Brisson said Quinn is relieved the situation is resolved and excited to be going to Minnesota where he will play playoff hockey,” MacIntyre reported.Brisson noted that Vancouver remained professional throughout discussions,even as interest from multiple teams increased. He also confirmed that while several clubs reached out, no assurances were made to any team regarding a contract extension as part of the trade process.“The one thing I made certain about, under no circumstances could we guarantee a contract extension with anyone,” Brisson said.Hughes remains under contract through the 2026-27 season with a cap hit of approximately $7.85 million. The Wild will not be eligible to negotiate a contract extension with Hughes until July 1, 2026.