The Vancouver Canucks have been without their captain and leading scorer, Quinn Hughes, for the previous three games. The club holds a 2-0-1 record without him, with just one more game before the 4 Nations Face-off break.
CanucksArmy’s David Quadrelli reported that Hughes has been withheld from the Canucks’ lineup due to an oblique injury.
While some players will get to recover from ailments during the break, Hughes will not, as he was selected to represent his nation for Team USA. This injury has fogged his availability for the tournament.
Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin spoke with Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre, giving his support to his captain and the decision he has in front of him with 4 Nations right around the corner:
Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet has spoken candidly about the careful management required to secure Hughes’ health. “It depends on the next 48 hours; I guess that’s really what it comes down to,” Tocchet explained. “We’ll sit down with Quinn and talk to him. It’s a day-to-day thing right now. We want to make sure that he’s right.” 
The decision about Hughes’ participation in the 4 Nations tournament may also hinge on his availability for Saturday’s game against Toronto. Tocchet acknowledged this, saying, “It could be. It depends on how close [he] is to playing on Saturday. But yeah, we’re going to have to have a hard, long look at this. Like every player, you’re concerned about safety and health and all that stuff.” 
The 25-year-old superstar has been sidelined after suffering a lower-body injury during last Friday’s 5-3 loss to the Dallas Stars. While he finished that game, Hughes was visibly in pain.
This setback came on the heels of a previous hand injury earlier in the season that caused him to miss four games after the Christmas break — though he returned to the ice wearing a brace and continued to dominate at a world-class level. 
Hughes is in the midst of yet another stellar season, leading all NHL defencemen with 59 points. His contributions — both as a defensive stalwart and a dynamic offensive presence — are unmatched on the Canucks roster, with a 25-point gap between him and his closest teammates Conor Garland and Brock Boeser, who both have 34. 
The club is cautiously optimistic about their captain’s availability for Saturday but has given him the option to decide whether or not he’ll be suiting up for Team USA in one week’s time.
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