Quinn Hughes trade leaves ex-Canucks teammate Brock Boeser wrestling with ‘mixed emotions’

The Quinn Hughes trade hit Vancouver Cancuks players fast and without much warning. One day, he was still leading the room, and the next, he was gone, part of the Minnesota Wild. For players left behind, the change felt sudden and heavy.

Brock Boeser admitted the moment lingered longer than expected. He told The Athletic the speed of the move caught everyone off guard.

"I don’t think we thought it would be that fast," Boeser said. "It was definitely a shock. I know there’s a few of us, especially myself. I was feeling so many different emotions, because he’s one of my best buddies on the team and such an important piece.

"Couldn’t really explain. I was sad. I was mad. I was happy for him. It was just a ton of emotions... We’re happy for him, but then again, it’s - I don’t know - it was hard to just take it all in and really fully comprehend that he wasn’t going to be with us the next day."

As a Burnsville, Minnesota native, Boeser faced a different situation than his other teammates.

"He [Quinn] means a lot to a lot of us, but obviously, we want what’s best for him, too," Boeser said. "It’s mixed emotions. When I was getting texts from people in Minnesota after the trade, I had to put my phone on ‘do not disturb’ and put it away for a while."

So far, Boeser’s own season has been average amid the change. He has nine goals and eight assists while seeing consistent top-six minutes.

Vancouver is focused on a strategic rebuild after Quinn Hughes' trade

In Vancouver, the void feels larger each night. The Canucks sit last in the Pacific with a 13-17-3 record and continue to search for answers. Trading their captain, Quinn Hughes, marked a clear turn in direction for the franchise, aiming to focus on getting younger with a focused rebuild.

"I believe that we've been in a rebuild here for a little bit, and we've been able to acquire some good young players," Canucks' president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford said.

After the trade, Quinn Hughes has wasted no time settling in with the Wild. He already has a goal and an assist in his first two games. His skating and puck control have lifted Minnesota’s pace on both ends. The Wild now sit near the top of the Central Division with a 20-9-5 record and look deeper on the blue line.