It was fascinating to see him do the same with the Wild on Sunday, culminating in a goal in his debut. It was equally gratifying to see Zeev Buium, the key piece of the return, tally a goal and an assist less than seven minutes into his Canucks tenure.

On Saturday night, Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman set off days of speculation and excitement when he reported that the Devils have had “at least one” conversation with the Canucks about acquiring the superstar defenseman, who is a brother of Devils stars Jack and Luke.

Quinn Hughes is signed with the Vancouver Canucks through two more seasons. But considering his importance to the franchise and his rise to prominence as one of the league’s best defencemen, questions about his long-term future won’t go away.

Indeed, when the Wild got their initial man advantage of the night versus Boston, it was Hughes taking the first shift on the blue line.

Does Hughes slot in as a partner to likely Team USA teammate Brock Faber? What does that mean for the rest of the Minnesota lineup?