Quinn Hughes wasn’t supposed to be available to be drafted when the Vancouver Canucks took the stage to make the seventh overall selection at the 2018 draft. The Canucks needed a defenceman but were predicted to have to choose from Noah Dobson, Adam Boqvist or Evan Bouchard.
Hughes was being projected to be taken in the top five. But when the Montreal Canadiens decided to select Jesperi Kotkaniemi instead of the projected third overall pick, Filip Zadina, the draft got a major shakeup. Then, all the teams began passing on Zadina.