Referencing recent incidents of apparent laissez-faire from Canucks captain Quinn Hughes, local and national NHL trade pundits have turned much of their attention to the club’s superstar defenceman.
Not to mention social media, where analysis of Hughes’s behaviour has been hyped up.
Hughes appeared somewhat apathetic, showed poor body language, and apparently lacked effort during certain moments in two of the Canucks recent losses against the San Jose Sharks and Colorado Avalanche. Vancouver has lost nine of its last eleven games, while managing to pick up an OT-loss point in three of them.
What would have previously been considered blasphemy — talk of trading Hughes well ahead of next season, prior to him becoming a pending unrestricted free agent — has become commonplace.
Some have turned their attention to the concept of the Canucks starting a rebuild, in part because of the club’s weakness in an area that was considered a strength: goaltending. Annoying, reoccurring injuries to the club’s number-one netminder Thatcher Demko have exacerbated the negative vibes surrounding the team.
It’s resulted in reactions ranging from ‘throwing one’s hands up’ in frustration, to Canucks doomsday scenarios.
Keep in mind, the hockey team is still missing three forwards and a regular defenceman to injury. At one point there were nine players on the list. Not exactly a winning formula, but also, not readily accepted as an excuse.
There’s also the flipside: maybe Hughes is simply ready to get the hell out of here, following in the footsteps of former assistant general manager Derrick Clancey, former top line center J.T. Miller, and former head coach Rick Tocchet.
Either way, the microscopes will be on Hughes as the Canucks begin a three games in four nights stretch at Rogers Arena on Friday.
It’s also possible by then that one of the other veteran Vancouver players will be dealt away following last week’s declaration by management that Canucks players were being made available.
The more things change, the more they stay the same. The Canucks are a bit of a gong show.
Earlier Canucks:
— Before Hughes, The Greatest Ever Was Edler
