By Tony Abbott -
Going into Sunday's game, all eyes in the State of Hockey were on new Minnesota Wild acquisition Quinn Hughes. Friday's out-of-nowhere trade for the superstar defenseman sent a jolt of nervous excitement through a fanbase that was curious to see what this new era might hold. FanDuel Sports Network knew what the fans were tuning in to see, and they frequently highlighted Hughes with a circle to denote his position on the ice.
Hughes had a tough act to follow. Zeev Buium, the crown jewel of the Wild's farm system until Friday, immediately notched a two-point night for the Vancouver Canucks. Fortunately, Hughes got his storybook beginning with the Wild, getting a goal as Minnesota rolled the Boston Bruins 6-2.
Being Hughes' big day, it was hard to imagine anyone else stealing the show. Still, as the game went on, it became impossible to take your eyes off the Wild's previous No. 1 defenseman, Brock Faber.
Faber was amped about the Hughes acquisition, telling the media after Saturday's win against the Ottawa Senators, "It is gonna be an absolute treat, because he is terrible to play against." And presumably, great to play with, as well, with Faber getting the first crack at partnering up with Hughes.
Faber's response was to play, well, a lot like Hughes. He was active in the offensive zone, with four shot attempts (three on goal) and moved the puck crisply, serving as an outlet for the rare times Hughes was stymied in the defensive zone. His power play assist was positively Hughesian, carrying the puck out of his own zone, into the offensive zone, and dancing through three Bruins to feed Ryan Hartman for the goal.
It's one game, but let's not kid ourselves, Hughes is arguably the best defenseman in the world. The Wild view Faber as a franchise blueliner, with his defensive instincts and 93 points through 195 career games. Faber-Hughes might well become the NHL's best defense pairing in the league within a week, and if so, it'll be because Hughes is someone who can finally lighten Faber's load.
Faber's not a Jonas Brodin, someone who is trusted in the defensive zone, can make efficient plays in transition, but doesn't contribute much more to the offense. No, Faber has proven that he can do everything. He can score, he can skate the puck out of his zone or make a breakout pass, he can defend, and he can thrive on the ice in any situation.
Faber's problem is that the Wild are often in a position where Faber must do everything, all the time. He's averaged over 25 minutes a night for his career, and those are rarely easy minutes. Faber's role has often been the blueline's primary puck-carrier, offensive generator, and a stout defender. There's no time to conserve energy -- Faber entered Monday with 115.22 miles skated in 2025-26, 11th-most in hockey, and he's fifth when it comes to even-strength play.
Make no mistake, Faber can do that. Despite his struggles last year, he was the No. 1 defenseman on a playoff team. But the hope with Buium in Minnesota was that he'd quickly be able to take stuff off Faber's plate, allowing him to become an elite No. 2 defenseman.
Now that Hughes is here, that dream is fulfilled, and then some.
Even during yesterday's feeling-out session, we saw what Hughes can do for Faber. Whether or not you believe Hughes is the best, second-best, or top-five defenseman in the league, there's no disputing that he's the best transition defenseman in the league. No one carries the puck more often or exits his zone more cleanly. The Wild have had their share of smooth-skating defensemen like Faber, Brodin, and Jared Spurgeon. Still, even last night, it was clear that Hughes' mobility is on another level.
Suddenly, Faber has to expend significantly less energy in his 25 minutes, even if his job doesn't get much simpler. On paper, it'd seem like Faber would become the defensive complement to Hughes' go-go-go offensive style. What we got on Sunday was something much better.
Again, Faber can do everything, and that means he gets to be whatever Hughes needs at a given moment. When opponents focus too hard on Hughes on the breakout, Faber can collect a pass and get things moving, with much less pressure than he's accustomed to. Hughes can find Faber in the offensive zone and know his partner is a threat to score. And yes, when it's time to bear down in front of the net, Faber can handle that with aplomb.
Faber is set to be the biggest beneficiary of the Hughes Effect, but Wild fans are about to see how his presence impacts everyone, even those unlikely to play much with the shiny new star. Faber was a decent No. 1 option; now he's a top-tier No. 2. Having Hughes and Faber together means that Minnesota can lean on the long-running chemistry between Brodin and Spurgeon, without worrying about the need to break up that pair. Jake Middleton and Zach Bogosian get to fulfill their destinies as third-pairing, in-case-of-penalty-kill-break-glass options. Even David Jiříček benefits, with him getting the slow-rolling, sheltered development minutes instead of Buium.
The most obvious benefits of having a superstar come from their play and production, of course. But Kirill Kaprizov's arrival in Minnesota was bigger than just his 40 goals per year; it's the knock-on effects that go up and down the roster. Mats Zuccarello was seen as a buyout candidate before Kaprizov revived his career. Joel Eriksson Ek and Matt Boldy both benefit from his presence, whether they play on his line or face softer competition on Line 2. Ryan Hartman can go off for 34 goals in a season. Victor Rask can become almost playable.
Wild fans should expect to see something similar from Hughes, especially on the blueline. Minnesota's defensive core has been strong for years, even without a superstar to carry the load. A true game-breaker in that unit should ripple down and accentuate the strengths of everyone else, and that effect should be most noticeable in Faber's play.
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