After winning the Norris Trophy as the NHL's best defenseman in 2023-24, Vancouver Canucks superstar Quinn Hughes has again been one of the league's premier blue liners this season. The 25-year-old is leading all D-men with 59 points through 47 games, and the captain continues to drive the bus in British Columbia.
But Hughes has been dealing with an injury that has kept him out of Vancouver's lineup each of the last two games — and could prevent him from playing in the 4 Nations Face-Off later this month.
Hughes' status for the highly-anticipated tournament has yet to be determined, head coach Rick Tocchet confirmed to NHL.com on Wednesday.
“It depends on the next 48 hours, I guess that what it really comes down to,” Tocchet said. “We’ll sit down with Quinn and talk to him.”
Hughes didn't practice or skate on his own on Wednesday, and remains day-to-day. He'll miss his third consecutive game and will not travel when the Canucks head to San Jose to play the Sharks on Thursday night. He last suited up in a 5-3 loss to the Dallas Stars on Friday.
Hughes could still be an option for Saturday night's tilt against the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs at Rogers Arena — both team's last game before the 13-day 4 Nations break.
“Depends on how close he is to playing on Saturday, that’s what it comes down too,” Tocchet said. “We’re going to have to have a hard, long look at this. Like every player, you’re concerned about safety and health.”
The bench boss continued: “He wants to play. He can’t play. I can be the bad guy, I don’t care. He’s not going to play. Would he try to gut it out? But I think he’s a smart kid, too, he knows gutting it out isn’t going to help our team. He’s got a big will to play but he knows better than that.”
Although the Canucks are objectively a much worse team without Hughes on the ice, they've managed to pick up three of a possible four points since Sunday.
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Canucks eyeing a playoff spot, and they badly need Quinn Hughes
After an impressive 3-0 victory over the high-flying Colorado Avalanche — which showcased the defensive skills of a couple of Pettersson's in Marcus and Elias — the Canucks have improved to 24-18-11 and are tied with the Calgary Flames for the final wildcard berth in the Western Conference.
That win came two days after a 3-2 overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings. Hughes took the warm up before the contest, but ended up being a late scratch.
If healthy, the American figures to be a catalyst for the United States at the 4 Nations. But the way things are going, it's looking less and less likely that he's going to play.
“I know Quinn is a USA guy,” Tocchet told NHL.com. “Loves his country. Playing with his brother, there’s a lot of positives to that, but he’s a smart kid, too. He understands what’s at stake.”
With two games left until the break — and Hughes unlikely to play in either of them — the Canucks will look to get a few wins for their captain before the tournament.
