The Vancouver Canucks are having a drama-filled season. A rift between JT Miller and Elias Pettersson forced a trade of Miller and rumors surrounding the Swede. While that plays out, the team is fighting for a playoff spot in the Western Conference. Captain Quinn Hughes has been leading the defense but is out with an undisclosed injury. Coach Rick Tochett announced that he will miss another game, which has American hockey fans panicking about the 4 Nations Face-Off.
Canucks play-by-play announcer Brendan Batchelor reported the news on Tuesday. It was not stunning, as Hughes has missed their last game against the Detroit Red Wings. The 3-2 overtime loss kept them in ninth place in the Western Conference, two points behind the Calgary Flames for the final playoff spot.
Hughes did skate before the morning skate on Tuesday, per Batchelor, who documented a conversation between the captain and coach. “Quinn Hughes sat on the bench having a long conversation with Rick Tocchet and the training staff and has now gone back down the tunnel to the room.”
The Canucks need Hughes, as the rest of their defense is dealing with injuries and is not up to par. And Team USA is leaning on him to help win the 4 Nations Face-Off. Getting Hughes healthy is important to hockey fans all over North America.
Quinn Hughes must prioritize Canucks in injury decision
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The 4 Nations Face-Off is the first international best-on-best tournament since the 2016 World Cup. Hughes was a long way away from making his NHL debut and watched with the rest of us while Canada won again. While he undoubtedly wants to help the US win Gold, he must prioritize winning with the Canucks.
The Canucks are not the same team without Quinn Hughes. And if they do trade Elias Pettersson, they would have a slim chance of making the playoffs. But with their star defenseman on the blue line, they can beat anyone in the West. Hughes must prioritize Vancouver's success over Team USA when making the decision
USA general manager Bill Guerin would have to replace Hughes by February 12 if he drops out due to injury. Star defensemen Alex Pietrangelo and Miro Heiskanen have already dropped out for Canada and Finland respectively, so Hughes won't be the only one. But the US has a plethora of snubs to pick from if Hughes can't go. Veteran John Carlson and youngster Jake Sanderson would be the best choices.
