Canucks: Quinn Hughes will be king of the blueline for the next decade

For the first time in 50 years, the Vancouver Canucks have a franchise defender in Quinn Hughes. His reign as “King of the blueline” is only just getting started.

The Vancouver Canucks have a defender in Quinn Hughes who will dominate the NHL blueline for the next decade or more.

Like his NHL debut, many people were skeptical about how the 5’10 blueliner would handle the pressures of playoff hockey. And just like the NHL regular-season, Hughes’ first-ever playoff experience had him dropping jaws all the way across North America.

Hughes didn’t struggle in a playoff atmosphere, he thrived in it. Through 17 games played, the rookie totalled 16 points (2 goals, 14 assists) and crossed off another record to be added to his already long list of year one accomplishments. He passed Al MacInnis‘ 39-year-old record for most points by a rookie defender in the playoffs and if his team would have seen the Western final, he would have shattered it all together.

If leading all NHL rookies in points this season with 53 (eight goals, 45 assists) wasn’t crazy enough already, Hughes blew past all expectations in the playoffs. Going from 0.84 points per game in the regular season to 0.875 PPG in the playoffs is extraordinary. The opposition had him marked as target No. 1 long before puck drop but he danced his way through three rounds of heavy-hitting opponents.

According to the Larshcast, the 20-year-old was battling a list of injuries throughout the 2020 playoffs that needed treatments up to three times per day. That never stopped him from producing as he was able to fight through it while still being able to go above and beyond as the team’s best defender.

For such a young kid, he’s already skating circles around some of the better players in this league. What happens when he’s 23 or 24-years old? If he can already do these incredible things and make them look effortless, what’s to stop him from winning multiple Norris Trophies? He’s confident in his skill-set and already thirsty to match new expectations moving forward.

"“I think I had a good year, and I think our team had a really good year. I think expectations will probably be even higher going into the next season after what we just did. I like that.”"

You have to like the confidence in his words. He welcomes the challenge and he knows he has what it takes to improve on a day-to-day basis. Each and every chance he has to come to the rink and get better, he makes sure he puts in the work to leave the ice as a better player.

There is a rise in the next generation of young NHL talent. Hughes is in good company with Cale Makar, Shea Theodore and Miro Heiskanen, but he’s already proven that he can not only run with the big dogs but burn past them as well. He outscored all three NHL defenders this season.

It’s been the best season on record for a Vancouver Canucks defender of any era, and I would even put his overall campaign a step above the franchise leader in rookie points, Elias Pettersson. With astonishing hockey IQ, a stick of magic and mind-blowing skating abilities, Hughes will wear the crown as “King of the blueline” for years to come.

If you thought his rookie season was stunning to watch, just wait. He’s only just getting started.