Canucks: Quinn Hughes is leading all NHL defencemen in points

The Vancouver Canucks are 13 games into a condensed 56-game 2021 NHL season and their star defenceman has picked up right where he left off. Just like he did inside the Edmonton playoff bubble back in the 2020 summer months, Quinn Hughes is playing at over a point per game pace with no signs of slowing down.

Thanks to a three-assist performance last night in a 5-3 loss to Montreal, the 21-year-old now has a total of 14 points (1 goal, 13 assists) and is currently leading all NHL defencemen on the stat sheet. Not only is he the NHL’s top dog on defence right now, but he’s also the scoring leader for the Canucks as well. He’s outplaying names like Cale Makar, Jeff Petry and Bo Horvat.

Averaging 22:40, he’s found ways to be an effective player for Vancouver. The consistency of his game goes beyond just being a good hockey player and it is something to be admired. No matter what gets thrown his way, he knows how to react quickly and find a way to make it work in his favour.

Take his position on the team for example. No knock on Jordie Benn, but Hughes went from having a very reliable partner in Chris Tanev last season to being d-partners with a questionable sixth or seventh defender. But how did that impact, Hughes? It didn’t. He went out there and just played his game to the best of his ability. Nothing changed.

Hughes is the kind of player who thrives on being the best he can be every day, and he doesn’t rely on the gameplay of his linemates to find success. If it wasn’t for him, who knows where the team would be at right now in the standings. Considering the fact that the Canucks are far from hitting full speed this season, it’s a good thing that their top defender is giving them a chance to win.

But could you imagine what Hughes will be capable of once this team finds its form? He plays a pivotal role on a power play that was the NHL’s fourth-best (24.1%) last season. This year, however, the Canucks man-advantage unit has struggled to get going and is currently the NHL’s 21st best (14.9%).

It’s no secret that the team struggled to light the lamp while up a man early on this season. The reason? J.T. Miller sat out the first four games under COVID protocol and Elias Pettersson was without a power play goal throughout that time. It’s picked up a couple of notches since then and looks primed to continue trending in the right direction.

Hughes can be dominant at even strength but his bread and butter comes effortlessly on the power play. The kid just doesn’t know how to slow down and when that PP1 unit finally clicks, the rest of the NHL best be aware of the Canucks’ power play quarterback.

This is only just the tip of the iceberg of what the Orlando, Florida native can do on the world’s most challenging blueline. He’s back in action on Thursday in the first game of a three-game series. There’s a good chance you’ll find him on the scoresheet.