NHL insider Elliotte Friedman spoke on Hockey Night in Canada’s Saturday Headlines. One of the topics of conversation was Vancouver Canucks’ Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes’ injuries. Friedman said that the injuries were “not considered serious,” which is great news for the organization and the team’s fans.
Injuries Not Considered Serious
This is the first time in five years that the team has played a regular season game without Pettersson and Hughes in the lineup. The last time it happened was March 26, 2019, which shows how durable both players are.
The Canucks announced that both players would be out for the game against the Seattle Kraken but did not provide a timeline for their return. However, after some investigation, Friedman reported that the injuries are not considered serious.
“They are not to be considered long-term injuries. I don’t want to give you an exact timeline because I’m not sure. But hopefully, that is some good news for the fans.”
Hughes and Pettersson are currently the top two scorers on their team. The Canucks’ captain currently leads in assists with 34 and points with 42.
The Canucks will need to rely on other big-name players like J.T. Miller and Brock Boeser to provide more offense if Pettersson misses the next few games.
However, when it comes to Hughes’ value to the team, Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet shared his thoughts.
“… You’re not going to replace the guy, but as a group, I’d like to see us play some solid ‘D,’ especially without the puck.”
No team wants their stars out due to injuries; its effect on the team is tough. However, for the Canucks, they will have to adopt the “next man up” mentality while their stars are sidelined with injuries. If all goes well, they will have Hughes and Pettersson back quickly.
