There were already questions swirling around the Vancouver Canucks’ early-season form, and now they’re missing their most important player. Captain Quinn Hughes remains out as the team gets ready for a three-game road trip, and that absence is starting to sting. The 26-year-old defenseman has now missed three games with what the club first called a lower-body injury.
Is Quinn Hughes’ Absence Starting to Expose the Canucks?
On the Donnie and Dhali podcast, insider Rick Dhaliwal said Thursday that it’s a groin issue, but added that Hughes is “close” to coming back. “That’s the last guy in the world you want out of your lineup because he’s the best player,” Dhaliwal said. “He could hop on a plane and join them either in Minnesota or Nashville.”
Hughes was hurt in Vancouver’s 4-3 loss to Montreal and has sat out against both Edmonton and New York since. The Canucks met the St. Louis Blues next, but Hughes did not play. General manager Patrik Allvin hasn’t ruled out a return later in the trip if things go smoothly.
Before going down, Hughes was playing heavy minutes, more than 26 a night, and six assists in nine games. His fingerprints were all over the power play, too, where he’d already picked up five points. Since being drafted, he’s piled up 356 assists and 60 goals in 442 career games, production that makes his absence impossible to ignore.
Right now, Vancouver is sitting fifth in the Pacific with a 6-6-0 record. It’s been an uneven start, partly due to all the injuries. The Canucks are scoring 2.55 goals per game while giving up three on average, and without their captain, they’ve struggled to control the pace or move the puck with confidence.
Blue Line Under Strain
The Canucks’ defense looks stretched thin without Hughes. Their 2-0 loss to the Rangers earlier this week showed it clearly, good effort from Thatcher Demko, not much else. The group had trouble breaking out cleanly, and the attack fizzled before it could build momentum.
Dhaliwal also noted that Conor Garland (upper-body) could be back soon, maybe within a week, while Teddy Blueger isn’t far behind. That helps a little, but the injuries have piled up: Guillaume Brisebois, Derek Forbort, Victor Mancini on defense, plus Filip Chytil and Jonathan Lekkerimäki up front.
In total, 29 players have already dressed for Vancouver, not exactly the kind of rotation any coach wants in October.
The timing couldn’t be tougher. Vancouver hoped to build on last season’s 109-point campaign, but injuries have chopped away at any rhythm. Still, there’s a sense inside the locker room that once Hughes returns, things will stabilize fast. If all goes as planned, he could rejoin the group for the weekend’s back-to-back in Minnesota or Nashville. For a team missing its heartbeat, that can’t come soon enough.
