Canucks: Jim Rutherford knew Norris finalist Quinn Hughes could ...
Canucks captain Quinn Hughes has been confirmed as a finalist for the NHL's award for best defenceman.
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Published May 01, 2024 • Last updated 26 minutes ago • 4 minute read
When Quinn Hughes collected the puck under pressure on the side boards near the end of Game 4 Sunday between his Vancouver Canucks and the Nashville Predators, his team was trailing and there were just seconds left to play.
But as he’s done all season, since he entered the NHL really, the Canucks’ star defenceman pulled off a moment of wizardry.
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His skating is light as a feather and he slammed on the brakes, as he so often does, sending opponent Gustav Nyquist spinning off in the other direction.
Hughes creates space for himself in ways that few others can and in this moment, it was essential.
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It allowed him to keep the play alive, to get the puck over to Elias Pettersson, who was able back in towards the net. Eventually Brock Boeser found the puck and scored the goal in equally spectacular fashion, but for this story, that’s irrelevant.
Hughes’ feat is what matters because Wednesday morning, the Canucks’ captain was confirmed as one of three finalists for the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s best defenceman.
He’s the first Canuck to ever be nominated for the Norris, further cementing a truth that has been obvious since nearly the day he arrived: he’s the best player to line up at the position called “defenceman” in team history.
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Also nominated are Colorado’s Cale Makar and Nashville’s Roman Josi.
Hughes and Josi are currently facing each other in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
But let there be no doubt: Hughes is the odds-on favourite to win the Norris this season. He’s up against two previous winners, two other magicians with the puck, but there’s just no comparison this season.
When Jim Rutherford arrived in Vancouver 2.5 years ago, he pointed out to reporter that some parts of the team was better than people realized.
Hughes was one of those things, he said Wednesday, shortly before boarding his team’s charter bound for Nashville. The Canucks face the Predators Friday at Bridgestone Arena for Game 6 of their best-of-seven series, which Vancouver leads 3-2.
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Hughes was already a tremendous player, he felt, but yes, the improvements that he’s made over the past year are notable, the veteran manager said.
It’s a credit to both Hughes and to the Canucks’ coaching staff that Hughes has added so much more to his game.
“It doesn’t matter how good a player is, you can always learn new things, like all of us in life: We’re all trying to learn new things every day. And that’s been a benefit to him,” Rutherford said.
“But you know, without any coaching, he’s got everything it takes to be one of the best.”
That drive has carried him this far. His willingness to work with his coaches to take things to the next level is to his credit — and no real surprise.
His teammates are regularly in awe of his talents. Take Conor Garland, after a late-regular season win over the Arizona Coyotes.
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“He’s unbelievable,” Garland said. “Whenever he plays, the ice is tilted in our favour. And the scary thing — and I know him pretty well and how hard and how serious he takes his game — he’s going to keep getting better. He’s always thinking hockey, always looking at ways to get better. That’s why he’s him. This isn’t the best he’s going to be. He’s going to be a completely different player in four years and he’s going to be even more unbelievable.”
Hughes’s 92 points led all NHL defencemen in scoring this season — two points ahead of Makar and seven ahead of Josi — but he also raised his defensive game to a new level.
His defensive prowess is what he’s most proud of this season; he’s always bit back at criticism that he’s too small but this year he clearly made it a mission to kick things up a notch.
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His shots-against rate is among the lowest in the NHL, a statement about how much he has the puck on the stick. Offence is just the best kind of defence.
And it’s this two-way influence that has drawn the attention of most observers — and then there’s the dazzling, highlight-reel quality plays night in, night out.
Add it all up and it’s hard to imagine him not winning the trophy when it’s handed out at the NHL Awards in late June.
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