How the Canucks are finding success after trading Hughes

The Vancouver Canucks are 5-3-0 since trading Quinn Hughes.

On December 20th Canucks defeated the Boston Bruins. It was a 5-4, shootout victory on the road. It was the fourth straight road victory for the Canucks, giving the team its longest win streak of the 2025-26 NHL season. 

It also happened to be the four games immediately following the trade that sent Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild. The team has now played 8 games in the “post-Hughes era” and is an acceptable 5-3-0.

Are the Canucks good now?

I suspect part of the reason for the positive results since the Hughes trade is due to pride. Hockey players are a strong, prideful bunch. They don’t tend to take slights well either. I believe the Canucks saw trading Hughes as an indictment of the team’s performance. A public declaration of throwing in the towel on the team as currently constructed. 

Vancouver could have held on to Hughes until the end of next season and tried to bring in pieces to make a deep playoff run. Instead, they chose to sell now and secure as much compensation as possible. That sounds like a team that has decided to rebuild (or hybrid re-tool, I guess). To me, that sends the message to the players that they aren’t good enough to win now. 

To be clear, I’m not saying the Canucks made the wrong move by trading Hughes when they did. By all accounts, he had made it known to the front office that he would not sign an extension at the end of his current contract. It makes more sense to get as much draft capital and young prospects as you can, rather than waiting and getting nothing.

The only time I believe you wouldn’t trade Hughes, is if the team had a real chance at winning a Stanley Cup in the next two seasons. I don’t think they did. Oddsmakers don’t think they did. Now we know, Patrik Allvin and Jim Rutherford don’t think they did. 

So what am I saying?

Regardless of public belief, professional athletes don’t have the same mentality. Self-belief is a massive part of being a great hockey player. I’m sure there are players in the Vancouver locker room who feel betrayed or demoralized in the wake of the move. I can’t blame them. 

The point I’m making is that hockey players use situations like this to motivate themselves. “Everybody thinks we’re not good enough to win, let’s show them,” etc. Do I think it is sustainable? No. Is it a fun story as the fanbase moves on from their best player? Yes. 

The goaltending has been particularly excellent since the Hughes trade. Thatcher Demko has looked elite upon return from injury. Kevin Lankinen also put on a pair of solid performances, allowing just six goals on 82 shots (.926 save percentage). Kiefer Sherwood continues to play at a level that keeps him a constant subject of trade speculation. 

The Canucks sit at 35 points, tied with the Blackhawks for second-worst in the NHL standings (only Winnipeg is worse). I want to make it clear that I am unapologetically on “team tank” in my philosophy for how I want the team to operate. Ideally, I want to see them lose enough to get the best chance at next year’s number one pick. But it’s tough to root against them winning. As a fan, it really is. Ultimately, I don’t see the team being good enough over the rest of this season to push them above the bottom five or six teams. 

For now, at least Canucks fans have something to keep them engaged with the team following such a major move.