The Vancouver Canucks blueline will getting some much-needed help sooner rather than later, as 2018 first-round pick Quinn Hughes has announced he intends sign after the 2018-19 season.
The Vancouver Canucks rebuild is finally starting to show some fruits. Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser are giving the fans and the organization a lot of hope for the future. Bo Horvat is emerging as a captain candidate like everyone hoped he would. However, their defense still needs a ton of help. They’ll be getting it soon in the form of 2018 first-round pick Quinn Hughes.
Vancouver selected him with the seventh overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft. Hughes fell a bit farther than some thought he would, as he was projected to be around a top-five pick. The Canucks were ecstatic he was available at the time. Since then, Hughes has already been giving Vancouver a lot of reasons to be optimistic about their future.
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The question has never been if he will come to the NHL. It’s been a matter of when he will. Hughes, according to Sportsnet, plans on signing after the 2018-19 season. During an interview, he wouldn’t fully commit to signing his entry-level contract, but it certainly appears to be his intent right now.
Hughes already appears to be NHL ready. PNHLe is a statistic used to measure the offensive potential of a player. It’s the most efficient and effective way to level the playing field for prospects because some leagues are better than others. Currently, Hughes has the second-highest PNHLe among defensemen at 91, tied with Vegas Golden Knights prospect Erik Brannstrom.
In more simple terms, Hughes, despite being a sophomore, ranks third in points among NCAA defensemen with 20 points in 17 games. Michigan has given him a lot of minutes and he has rewarded them. Hughes has greatly improved his defense while remaining a unique, dynamic force on offense.
He’s a prototypical modern defenseman in that he’s an outstanding skater. Hughes is a better skater than most of the forwards he faces. Obviously, he’ll get a bit of a rude awakening in the NHL, where the competition’s much stiffer. But Hughes should be fine and could be their best defenseman as soon as the 2019-20 season.
One thing worth keeping an eye on is when he signs. The Canucks would be wise to make Hughes wait until the end of the 2018-19 NHL season to sign. Should he play for Vancouver during the 2018-19 season, he would likely have to be protected in the Seattle expansion draft. Then again, it’s not like the Canucks are overflowing with defensemen worth protecting.
Another thing worth keeping an eye on is his brother Jack Hughes. He is projected to be the first overall pick of the 2019 NHL Draft, which, conveniently, is being held in Vancouver. The Canucks have had great luck with brothers (see: The Sedins). Unless Vancouver goes on another huge losing streak, their hopes of getting him are decreasing. But it’s about time the draft lottery rewards the Canucks in the form of a first overall pick.
Vancouver has already overhauled their forward group and the results are showing there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. The next step in their rebuild is a much-needed overhaul of their defensive core. Hughes figures to be a significant part of it.