On yesterday’s episode of Canucks Conversation, David Quadrelli and Jeff Paterson recapped the Vancouver Canucks’ win over the Anaheim Ducks, highlighting key contributions from depth players, the performance of Quinn Hughes, and some concerns over other players.
JPat began by discussing the incredible value of Quinn Hughes, who made history by becoming the third-fastest defenceman in NHL history to reach 300 assists in just 376 games.
“This is a guy making just under $8 million per season, doing the things he’s doing, and it’s incredible,” said JPat. “You’re reminded of the value the Canucks are getting out of him, and they’ve got him locked up for two more years after this one. There will come a time when negotiations may get tough, and he’ll have some decisions to make. But right now, he’s a Canuck, and he will be for at least the next couple of seasons. Enjoy the greatness that is Quinn Hughes because he’s building a Hall-of-Fame resume before our eyes…
“At five-on-five, he’s been on the ice for just four goals against, and that includes two games where Arturs Silovs couldn’t make a save. When you consider how much Hughes plays and the level of competition he faces, it’s impressive he’s only been on the ice for four goals against. That’s largely because he spends about 75% of his shifts in the offensive zone, doing what only Quinn Hughes can do. He’s rounded out his game, bulked up this offseason, and turned his slapshot — once a liability — into a legitimate weapon. He leads the Canucks in scoring and ice time, and as the clear focus of opponents, he draws extra attention. Yet, he hasn’t taken a single penalty. You just marvel at it all; every box is checked.”
Moving on to the game against the Ducks, they discussed how depth players have stepped up in recent weeks, contributing significantly to the Canucks’ success.
“They gave up the first goal for the fifth straight game,” JPat noted. “So it’d be nice to see them take charge right from the start. But last night, they were never in danger. They got rolling with Brock Boeser’s nice power-play deflection, and that Kiefer Sherwood goal was a work of art. Danton Heinen made a great play in his own zone, got it to Sherwood, who then opened up with a cross-ice pass to Brännström. Brännström delivered a perfectly placed drop pass right into Sherwood’s wheelhouse, and the guy is shooting to kill right now. That goal — and all the depth scoring — was fantastic. With Elias Pettersson still waiting to arrive statistically and J.T. Miller not always the best player on the ice, this Canucks team keeps pushing forward. It was Pius Suter the other night, Heinen against Chicago, Sherwood last night, and Blueger’s had an incredible start. Throw in Kevin Lankinen, and you’ve got a winning combination with 15 points already.”
JPat also shared concerns over Carson Soucy, who has been struggling to perform at the same level he showed last season.
“You can get away with these mistakes against teams like Anaheim,” JPat said. “But what happened against New Jersey and Tampa? Soon, they’ll face stronger opponents like Winnipeg and others in the NHL. If Carson Soucy is still making those kinds of mistakes, I have some concern. They need to figure out what’s going on with him because he’s a better player than he’s shown.”
Dakota Joshua’s situation also came up, as he was expected to play during the road trip but seems to be facing setbacks.
“Dakota Joshua’s an interesting one,” JPat commented. “Everything looked like it was trending toward him playing at some point during this road trip. He’s been practicing with the group and has been out of non-contact for a while now. But yesterday, he didn’t take part in the morning skate — we were told it was a scheduled day off. I thought he might face the Kings on Thursday night, but if he’s not practicing today, it’s hard to see him playing. This doesn’t seem like a traditional injury, but he needs to be right mentally to get back to the grind of the NHL. I’m not sure what’s happening here, but hopefully, there hasn’t been a setback.”
You can watch the full segment below.
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