There’s an effortlessness with which superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes controls a game whenever the puck is on his stick.

You have to see it in person to truly appreciate it.

That’s something the Wild have experienced firsthand since acquiring the 26-year-old last month. That’s something the Calgary Flames experienced firsthand as they struggled to keep up with him this week.

Though the game between the Wild and the Flames on Thursday night at Grand Casino Arena was borderline unwatchable for much of the 60 minutes, Hughes continued to prove that he’s always going to be worth the price of admission.

Just ask Flames winger Adam Klapka.

On a few different occasions, Hughes used his shiftiness to shake Klapka out of his skates, breaking ankles as if he were playing pickup on the blacktop. You almost started to feel bad for Klapka as he continuously peeled himself off the ice while struggling to keep up.

There’s a majesty to the way Hughes plays the game. It extends far beyond when he’s actually scoring points for the Wild. He has an aura about him that very few players in the NHL can replicate.

That’s precisely why general manager Bill Guerin moved heaven and earth to get him. He didn’t care about the price the Wild had to pay. Not when he found out that the Vancouver Canucks had actually put Hughes on the table.

Whether it’s his patented spin move that makes life miserable for his opponents, or his unmatched vision that makes life easier for his teammates, Hughes transforms the way the Wild play every time he hops over the boards.

That’s a a reason the Wild boasted a 13-5-5 recorded with Hughes in the lineup heading into the matchup with the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday night at Rogers Place. There’s no doubt that the Wild have taken their game to another level since acquiring him, looking very much like a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.

The impact Hughes already has made can’t be overstated. He had recorded 27 points (2 goals, 25 assists) in 23 games with the Wild before playing the Oilers. He doesn’t seem to be slowing down.

His numbers in January alone are staggering; 19 assists before the Wild played the Oilers. That was already a franchise record for assists by a defenseman in a single month, and Hughes has another 60 minutes to add to that total.

It’s not hyperbole to say the Wild have never had a player on the blue line as good as Hughes in his current form.

As good as star defenseman Brent Burns was at the peak of his powers, he didn’t reach elite status until after the Wild traded him.

As good as star defenseman Ryan Suter was in his prime, he was never the prolific scorer the Wild needed him to be.

As good as star defenseman Jared Spurgeon has been for the past decade, he hasn’t always moved the needle for the Wild in the biggest moments.

That’s no longer the case with Hughes in the mix. He’s everything the Wild have been missing. It’s why the prospects of them finally getting over the hump and winning the Stanley Cup have never felt more realistic.

Fittingly, with the Wild struggling to put the Flames away this week, it was Hughes that ignited a tic-tac-toe sequence out of thin air that proved to be the difference. On a power play late in the game, Hughes snapped a pass to winger Kirill Kaprizov, who slid the puck to winger Matt Boldy, who scored a goal that provided some much needed insurance in the 4-1 win.

Maybe the scariest part for the rest of the NHL? It seems Hughes is getting more dominant as he continues to get more comfortable with the talent around him.

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