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Canucks player projected to be a strong candidate to win the Hart Trophy in 2024-25

A Stanley Cup would be great for the Vancouver Canucks in 2025, but one big name could be the league’s most valuable player.

By Todd Matthews

May 20, 2024; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes (43) handles the puck against the Edmonton Oilers during the second period in game seven of the second round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
May 20, 2024; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes (43) handles the puck against the Edmonton Oilers during the second period in game seven of the second round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images / Bob Frid-Imagn Images
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Nothing is more fun at this time of the year than making predictions for the upcoming season, and that’s the case here with the Vancouver Canucks and a potential Hart Trophy winner. But the question is, which player for the Green and Blue has been listed as a serious candidate to snag the award since, let’s be honest, there are quite a few of possible names. 

Goaltender Thatcher Demko is one player who may jump out at you, and if he stays healthy, who knows what his 2024-25 campaign will bring? But as you know, Demko is currently dealing with concerns regarding his knee, and that will keep him off the Hart Trophy shortlist until he proves such injury woes are behind him. 

JT Miller may be another trendy pick, and thanks to several successful campaigns in British Columbia, he could emerge as a dark horse. However, the list NHL.com compiled didn’t include Miller; instead it listed a young up-and-comer. Okay, maybe not an up-and-comer, as this young player is more than established. 

Quinn Hughes is a blueliner who could easily take the Hart this season

Is Quinn Hughes an easy potential candidate to make a strong case for the Hart, or what? Hughes, who is neither the biggest nor the most physical blueliner in the league by any degree, plays the position better than arguably any other skater at the moment. We know this because he happened to walk away with the Norris Trophy this past season, in case you missed it. 

And did any blueliner even come close after Hughes put up 92 points, 17 goals, and a whopping 75 assists to go with a plus-38? But let’s have more fun because his advanced metrics are just as epic. 

Hughes, at even strength, had an on-ice shooting percentage of 13.0 - that’s the percentage of goals scored while he was in the game at even strength. His Corsi For Percentage sat at 57.5 and it definitely contributed to the high on-ice shooting percentage. But he also looked elite in the defensive zone with an on-ice save percentage of 91.0, again at even strength.

The latter was special, considering the carousel of goaltenders Vancouver dealt with late, but as the final number above tells you, Hughes didn’t let it affect him too much. Overall, it wouldn’t surprise me much if he ended up snagging the Hart Trophy following what should be an incredible encore presentation in the Pacific Northwest.

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