The Canuck Way
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Canucks: Quinn Hughes deserves Norris Trophy consideration

By Brayden Ursel

VANCOUVER, BC - NOVEMBER 05: Quinn Hughes #43 of the Vancouver Canucks skates with the puck during NHL action against the St. Louis Blues at Rogers Arena on November 5, 2019 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images)
VANCOUVER, BC - NOVEMBER 05: Quinn Hughes #43 of the Vancouver Canucks skates with the puck during NHL action against the St. Louis Blues at Rogers Arena on November 5, 2019 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images) /
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Quinn Hughes #43 of the Vancouver Canucks (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
Quinn Hughes #43 of the Vancouver Canucks (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) /

2. He’s doing things that haven’t been done since Lidstrom and Bourque

It’s not very often that a franchise defenceman enters the National Hockey League and becomes an impact player overnight. It’s actually a lot rarer than any other position in the game of hockey today. About once a decade or so (give or take), a blueliner changes an NHL franchise and the game completely.

For the Canucks and their 50-year history, they have never possessed such a powerful player to walk the blueline. As a matter of fact, very few NHL teams get to say they have a game-changing defender in their arsenal, especially one’s who touching and eclipsing records that haven’t been touched in nearly 30 years.

For starters, the American roamer was able to accomplish rookie feats that haven’t been done since Niklas Lidstrom scored 50+ points in 1991-92. Not only did Hughes surpass the 50-point mark, but he was also well on his way to 60+ points. Unfortunately, the season was halted 13 games before the close of the regular 82-game grind and the fans may never get to see what could have been, but having your name compared to an NHL great like that can only be a good thing.

Ray Bourque is another NHL legend Hughes drew comparisons to this season and with good reason. Hughes backed up his incredible playmaking ability with a historic statistic to add to his incredible rookie year. Four times this season Hughes managed to put up three assists in a single game. He joins Bourque as the only rookie defender to ever accomplish something so special and honestly who knows what Hughes could have done with 13 more games? It’s very realistic that Hughes could have topped the record given the chance.

Being compared to not one superstar defender of the past but two at any point in an NHL career is a true honour. To be able to have your name spoken in the same sentence as those two as a rookie is an entirely different animal, and that’s what Hughes is. He’s a pure offensive beast on the Canucks’ blueline.

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