Vancouver Canucks insider Rick Dhaliwal suggests Quinn Hughes is most likely to be the new captain of the Canucks while speaking to The Sportsnet 650 Radio.
The Canucks have been lacking a captain since Bo Horvat was traded to the Islanders in January. The Canucks didn’t name a captain during the last season after longtime cap Horvat’s departure. However, they are expected to name a captain as soon as possible, most likely Quinn as per Dhaliwal’s words.
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🗣️"It looks like, guys, it's going to be Quinn Hughes."
▶️@MikeHalford604 & @SadClubCommish chat with @DhaliwalSports about his new intro courtesy @AndyCole1984, as well as predictions on the next #Canucks captain.
— Sportsnet 650 (@Sportsnet650) September 8, 2023
Quinn Hughes seems like a pretty good option for the Canucks. The oldest Hughes brother joined Vancouver Canucks and was selected seventh overall in the 2018 Entry Draft. The defenseman is the current assistant captain and has been pretty solid with the Canucks for five years.
Hughes has played in 283 games with 26 goals and 215 assists, totaling 242 points. He’s also the recipient of the last four Babe Pratt awards given to the best defenseman on the Canucks team.
Rick Dhaliwal also runs Elias Petterson‘s name, an unlikely prospect as he hasn’t signed on to a long contract yet. Elias is entering his last year of contract while Hughes has a six-year signed until 2026-27.
Bo Horvat and former head coach Bruce Boudreau suggested Elias Petterson, indicating Petterson would be the next cap. However, Petterson seemed to be reluctant about the post, maybe he doesn’t want leadership, or maybe since he’s about to jump ship. Hughes, on the other hand, ever since Horvat’s trade has been more vocal.
Quinn Hughes has been said to be more vocal on and off the ice lately, even during practice sessions. He also appeared for the media regarding Tanner Pearson’s injury, Pride Night Celebrations, and the Vancouver Canucks struggles. He was also chosen as team spokesman on the last game day for the Canucks.
Despite Hughes himself saying that the Canucks need not have a captain so soon in an interview, the facts and details point to him. Albeit this, The recent tweet by Rob Williams suggests that Quinn has changed his mind about being an NHL Captain.
I asked Quinn Hughes how comfortable he would be wearing the C if the #Canucks named him captain.
His response: "I'm very comfortable. I've had a lot of great mentors… It's an honour to play here, with the fans so passionate. If that ever happened, it'd be an honour as well."
— Rob Williams (@RobTheHockeyGuy) September 9, 2024
What do you think of Quinn Hughes? Is he the best candidate for the Vancouver Canucks captaincy? Do let us know in the comments!
