The trade rumours surrounding Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes are the talk of the National Hockey League right now. And it’s starting to creep into the Canucks locker room.

Head Coach Adam Foote was asked about the noise surrounding his captain and if that’s impacting the room and the mood of his players:

“They obviously hear it, Foote shared. “I think when I’ve been around things like that, you’re not talking about it, you’re trying not to think about it, but it’s there. You can feel it certain days more than others. I can feel it certain days more than others. These guys are human; they can feel it. It can affect, for sure, a locker room. I give these guys credit. They’re in a tough spot, hearing the noise, and they keep coming to work every day and keep doing their job, and they’re pros, that’s what they are supposed to do. To answer your question, they can hear it. It probably affects some players more than others. But like I said, I give them a lot of credit for the way they’re handling it, coming to work and trying to win hockey games and do their job.”

The trade speculation surrounding the Canucks began about a month ago, when Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that Vancouver sent a memo to all 31 other teams stating that the organization had made its veteran players available. They emphasized that the list of veteran players did not include Quinn Hughes at that point.

Nothing has changed since then, but that hasn’t stopped teams from calling the Canucks on their captain. Friedman reported in his Saturday Headlines segment that the New Jersey Devils and Canucks had a conversation about Hughes.

Regardless of who checks in and who doesn’t, the noise has affected the on-ice product for the Canucks.

Amidst the trade rumours, the Canucks’ offence has dried up. Hughes has gone six games without a point; Brock Boeser is pointless in five games and has one goal in his last 12, and Jake DeBrusk is goalless in nine straight. The Canucks are 2-4-1 and are averaging two goals per game.