Overview
- The NHL honored Bill Guerin as the 2025–26 Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year after broad voter support that placed him on 37 of 40 ballots for 131 points.
- Guerin engineered a December blockbuster to acquire defenseman Quinn Hughes from Vancouver, a deal that sent prospects Zeev Buium, Marco Rossi, Liam Ohgren and a first-round pick to the Canucks.
- Hughes produced 53 points in 48 games for Minnesota and the team posted the eighth-most wins and seventh-most goals in the league after the trade, finishing the season 46-24-12.
- Guerin also added veterans such as Vladimir Tarasenko and Jeff Petry during the campaign, moves that helped Minnesota win a first-round playoff series over Dallas.
- Voters and league observers cited both the immediate on-ice lift and Guerin’s role as Team USA GM who won Olympic gold, but the Hughes trade’s cost in top prospects and a first-round pick raises long-term roster questions.