Canucks: Teammates are confident Quinn Hughes will be better in 2021

The Vancouver Canucks organization knows they have a special player in Quinn Hughes, but the team’s No. 1 defenceman should be better than ever this year.

It didn’t take long for Quinn Hughes to become one of the NHL’s best defencemen, not long at all…

The Vancouver Canucks‘ No. 1 blueliner put up an astonishing 53 points (eight goals, 45 assists) in 68 games last season, leading all NHL rookies in points and becoming the Canucks’ third-straight Calder Trophy finalist.

No doubt, it was a mind-blowing debut campaign for the 21-year-old Orlando, Florida native. Simply put, he was the best defenceman the Canucks have ever possessed throughout their entire 50-year history. Making life in the NHL look easy, Hughes broke multiple records, he was an NHL All-Star and he cemented himself among the league’s most dominant performers to walk the blueline.

The stakes will be at an all-time high for Hughes when the 2021 season kicks off, and there certainly won’t be any sort of ‘flying under the radar’ this time around, but for Hughes, it’ll likely be just another day. The young defenceman is a firm believer in his ability to play the game at an elite level. This is what he said in his post-practice media scrum on day 1 of training camp:

"“Just trying to get better at everything I can. I know I got stronger, that was a big thing. I took six or seven weeks off the ice to try and get my body right and, you know, get stronger and use that time to get better at some things that I usually don’t have the time to do. So, I feel stronger, I feel older, more mature. I think my skills have increased so, you know, as the year goes on I think I’ll get better and better.”"

The kid is dripping with confidence and the way he goes about it isn’t considered flashy, cocky or immature. He just goes out there, puts in 110 percent and finds ways to be an effective team player. Tyler Myers, defensive partner for Hughes at times last season, knows all about what the American is capable of. He had this to say about him:

"“He was such a good player to even start out the year last year. The things you see with him, he developed a consistency you don’t see too often in young guys, especially for his age. I think he took some big steps from the start of the year to the end of last year. Coming into this year I’m sure he feels that much more comfortable. He shows a lot of maturity on the ice for such a young kid.”"

With Chris Tanev no longer dawning the Canucks colours of blue and green, Myers has an opportunity to swoop in and steal a vacancy on Vancouver’s top defensive pairing. Any defender would be very excited about the opportunity as Hughes has the ability to skyrocket a player’s value overnight.

As for Elias Pettersson, who knows all about the challenges of a potential sophomore slump, he doesn’t seem concerned about Hughes having a stumble in his second season whatsoever. In fact, Pettersson believes Hughes already knows what to expect.

"“My second year they knew who I was. I was getting more attention. I think Quinn was already getting that attention last season, especially in the playoffs. He’s a smart player. He learns fast and he learns quick.”"

The confidence from his teammates is tenfold. The entire Canucks locker room has faith in number 43 and their expecting great things from him. The same confidence can be seen in Hughes and he’s ready to continue working on being the best he can be. When the topic of improving his game came into question on Sportsnet 650’s Canucks Central, he had this to say:

"“Trying to get more shots on net. In the NHL, that’s how you are going to score is screens, tips, and stuff like that. For me, how I can get more shots every game and obviously working on my shot this summer. Also, when and where to spend my energy. Maybe last year I go guns blazing at the start of the game and you’re tired for the second and third, especially in the playoffs when you’re playing every other day. So, I think picking and choosing your spots is something I’ll be working on as well.”"

It’s no secret that Hughes will be the backbone of Vancouver’s blueline next season and beyond, and it’s exciting to know just how much his teammates believe in him. But knowing Hughes, he doesn’t need others to believe in him. He’s been completely confident in himself since he arrived in Vancouver and he’s the type of player who won’t let anything stand in his way.

Get your popcorn ready folks because at this time next week, Hughes and the Canucks are back in action to begin the 2021 NHL season.