$38,500,000 Canucks forward makes feelings crystal clear about Quinn Hughes trade: "No one wanted this"

Vancouver Canucks forward Jake DeBrusk did not try to soften the reality facing the organization in the wake of the franchise-altering trade that sent captain Quinn Hughes out of Vancouver.

Speaking to the media after the Canucks’ second win in eight games, DeBrusk acknowledged the emotional and competitive weight of losing the team’s leader while reinforcing his commitment to the direction the team is now forced to take.

“I mean, obviously, it’s not what we wanted as a team,” DeBrusk said. “No one wanted this; I can tell you that for free. But sometimes sports are weird, and you learn a lot about yourself when the times are tough.”

Hughes, the face of the Canucks’ blue line and one of the NHL’s elite defencemen, was moved in a blockbuster deal that returned Vancouver a significant package of young players and future assets.

For DeBrusk, who signed a seven-year, $38.5 million contract with Vancouver last summer, the timing of the move might signal some uncertainty that can come with long-term commitments in the NHL. Still, the 27-year-old winger made it clear he has no second thoughts about choosing Vancouver.

“Obviously, like I said, we’ve got a lot of younger guys. But I don't have any regrets ... and I'm still happy to be here. We're building something here.”

DeBrusk also mentioned that the loss of Hughes has altered the dynamic inside the room, particularly from a leadership standpoint.

“Losing your captain, I mean, it’s always different,” he said. “Having new guys… they’re excited, all the younger guys. And they all have different energy that they bring, so that’s the positive side of it.” [H/T Sportsnet]

That shift has been evident on and off the ice as younger players are being asked to take on larger roles in the immediate aftermath of the trade.

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Brock Boeser reveals team had a farewell dinner with Quinn Hughes

Canucks alternate captain Brock Boeser made it clear the deal hit him hard. He shared that the timing caught him off guard and with it came a rush of emotions that were difficult to sort through in the moment.

“I’m not the kind of guy who’s like, ‘We traded Huggy? OK, see you later,’” Boeser explained. “(The trade) happened a little faster than I thought it was going to happen. And it hit me hard. I had a lot of different feelings, emotions..”

At the same time, Boeser acknowledged the hockey side of the equation. He pointed to the return the Canucks received noting the influx of young players and the sense that the organization now has a deeper pool of youth to build around.

What mattered most to Boeser, though, was the chance for closure. In the days after the trade, the team gathered for a final dinner with Hughes before he left.

“It was really important because it was obviously a big shock,” Boeser said. “Just to kind of grasp the whole thing ... you want to get to say goodbye, and so it meant a lot that we got to have a dinner with him and kind of say our goodbyes. We all tried to have (upbeat) attitudes, but obviously some of us were sad.”

He added that there was an understanding that change, while painful, also brings opportunity.

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Edited by Anjum Rajonno