The Canuck Way Mailbag: Hughes, Motte, Hawryluk, more

Quinn Hughes

I think that job will fall to Elias Pettersson, but Quinn Hughes won’t be far behind, as he will be one of the players getting most of the assists on his goals. However, I do agree with Stephen about the fact that he could win the Norris Trophy as soon as next season.

With the experience he gained throughout the regular season and the playoffs, I have no doubt in my mind that he will adjust his game to put up even more points in 2020-21.

Hughes is one of the smartest defencemen in the NHL right now, and he has the skating and vision to match. If he’s paired with Nate Schmidt, he could get even more opportunities to generate offence, as teams will have to focus on him as well because of his array of offensive talents.

When he was with Chris Tanev, all eyes were on him, as no one had to worry about Tanev jumping up into the play. More threats, means more opportunities, and knowing Hughes’ massive hockey IQ, he will definitely take advantage of it and become at least a Norris Trophy finalist by the end of the season.

The bridge deal is the soup of the day in the NHL because of the flat cap every general manager is dealing with right now. They can’t commit to lucrative long-term deals due to the uncertain economic landscape in both Canada and the United States, and players are suffering for it. Yes, the bridge deals are not cheap by any means, but players cannot secure job security for themselves with these short-term deals.

In an ideal world, Hughes would sign a seven-year deal, keeping him in Vancouver for the foreseeable future. Though, as we all know, the world is rarely perfect. If he does indeed sign a three-year bridge contract, his value will surely go up in the coming seasons, and the Canucks will not only be facing a pricey contract but the threat of an offer sheet as well. Right now that isn’t a problem as he’s currently exempt, but in three years, it will be a different story entirely.

Unfortunately, with the hockey world struggling financially, the Canucks may not have any other choice but to sign Hughes to that type of contract. Judging by how the Aquilini family is tightening the purse strings with recent deals and the ever-growing possibility of a lost 2020-21 season, I don’t think that is going to change anytime soon.

On that note, another The Canuck Way mailbag is in the books! As always, keep following us on Twitter @FSTheCanuckWay for all the latest news and stories about the Canucks, and stay tuned for the next one!