It's actually preposterous how much the Vancouver Canucks have had to deal with already this season, with us previously writing about all the adversity they've encountered. And it doesn't seem to be getting any easier, highlighted by the speculation surrounding the rift between J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson refusing to die down.
On the subject of Pettersson, on Friday the Canucks placed the centre on injured reserve retroactive to Dec. 23, with him not having played since a game against the San Jose Sharks prior to the Christmas break. Fans are painfully aware of Filip Hronek's long-term absence, while Arturs Silovs has been recalled on an emergency basis, due to Thatcher Demko dealing with back spasms.
Now to be clear, Pettersson and Demko are not expected to be missing for too long, but the Canucks and their fans sure could use some good news. And it might have finally come, in respect of another player currently missing through injury.
Captain's return is imminent
More specifically we're talking about Quinn Hughes, who has been out since the game against the Sharks, with an undisclosed injury. Canucks coach Rick Tocchet subsequently advised that his captain was considered week-to-week, which while not disastrous, was still not great when considering we're talking about the best player on the team.
Other comments from Tocchet led to the question of if the team had mismanaged Hughes' situation, with the coach admitting they let him play against the Sharks with his injury. The claim was that the defenceman couldn't have made his injury any worse, but there was still understandable concern about taking such the risk.
Our best guess at the time -- and it was just that -- was that the Canucks were hoping the four-day Christmas break following the Sharks game, would give time for Hughes to recover enough and be able to play on the Saturday against the Seattle Kraken. Ultimately though, it was a gamble which didn't pay off.
Canucks desperately need Hughes
In any event, the latest update is a positive one in respect of Hughes and his recovery. On Friday, as per David Quadrelli of Canucks Army, Tocchet advised that last season's Norris Trophy winner has been skating quite a bit and is close to returning.
Of course we can appreciate that even positive news such as this, might be perceived as somewhat ambiguous. Tocchet removed some degree of uncertainty though, by adding that Hughes will definitely be accompanying the team on their upcoming five-game road trip, which begins on Monday night in Montreal.
Hughes' return is vital for a team with just five wins in their past 15 games and struggling as a collective defensively. Ahead of Saturday's slate of action, the Canucks are a lowly 23rd in average goals allowed per contest and 25th in team save percentage.