"The answer: Neither? It isn't to say that the Minnesota Wild are not a team on the rise, but they are arguably (currently) not a contender. A perfect illustration can be seen after closely examining their center depth, especially after the trade which saw a promising top-six center in Marco Rossi being sent to the Canucks. But with the trade in the books and its effects having been given time to marinate, it's time to take a look at who benefits and how so."
"To acquire a generational talent in Quinn Hughes, the Wild had to sacrifice a huge piece of their top six in Rossi, the heir to their defense in Zeev Buium, and a promising middle-six forward in Liam Ohgren. While Ohgren's numbers weren't spectacular, the young forward had the potential of being a young staple to Minnesota's forward group and providing some youthful stability to an offensive rush that is held together by aging veterans."
"Now, what does Quinn Hughes bring to the table? Well, besides being one of the best defensemen of his generation, Hughes' addition provides Minnesota a chance to assemble one of the best defensive pairings with Quinn Hughes on the left and Brock Faber on his right. There is no doubt that the Minnesota Wild and their acquisition of Quinn Hughes unlocks a multitude of opportunities."
The Minnesota Wild acquired Quinn Hughes in a trade that required packaging Marco Rossi, prospect Zeev Buium, and Liam Ohgren. The move strengthens Minnesota's defense and creates the prospect of a top pairing with Hughes on the left and Brock Faber on the right. The trade removed a promising top-six center and a potential young middle-six forward from the organization, exposing center depth concerns. Ohgren's statistical output was limited, but he represented potential youthful stability within an offense reliant on aging veterans. The Wild therefore gained a generational defenseman and new opportunities while remaining arguably several pieces short of true Stanley Cup contention given divisional competition.
Read at Puck Prose
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