Quinn Hughes | #43 | D

[Uber Dave]

Reporter: Have you fought before?

Hughes: "A couple times living with Brady, you can ask him about it!"

 

The kids can throw down with Tkachuk?!

Merry Christmas to us! Hughes keeps getting better!!

...And he's not even here yet!!

[HockeyHarry]

I can’t watch the World juniors this year so It would be greatly appreciated if some posters could do updates on Quinn’s performances. 

I hope he has a huge impact. 

 

Anyone know if there’s a way to stream the games once they start. I don’t have a TSN account and I’m not in Canada for tourney.

[CRAZY_4_NAZZY]

Man watching Quinn makes me so ready to see him on the Nucks roster

[CanucksJay]

I'm looking forward to Hughes vs Boqvist comparisons this WJHC. Predraft i was in the Boqvist camp but came around super quickly when we drafted Hughes. 

It'll be interesting to see how the 2 have progressed in their d+1 year

[JamesB]

27 minutes ago, CanucksJay said:

I'm looking forward to Hughes vs Boqvist comparisons this WJHC. Predraft i was in the Boqvist camp but came around super quickly when we drafted Hughes. 

It'll be interesting to see how the 2 have progressed in their d+1 year

It will also be interesting to see how Hughes compares with Bouchard, Dobson, and Ty Smith.

 

Of that group of 5 D-men, I think most people had Hughes first. Not that I have any inside information but, just based on numbers, scouting reports, and highlight videos, I had Hughes first in that group.

 

The situation reminded me of 2016 when Juolevi, Sergachev, Chychrun, Bean, and McAvoy were all in the picture except that I think the separation between Hughes and rest was more obvious, whereas it was hard to see much separation in 2017..

 

But I was thinking that it might make sense in both 2016 and 2018 to trade down and get one of the other 4 guys along with maybe another first round pick. In 2018 Smith did not go until #17. A combo of, say Dobson (#12) and Merkley (#21) would have been appealing, or even Smith and Merkley. I am not saying those deals or similar deals were available but something good must have been available.

 

Of course, one elite player (top of depth chart D) is worth more that two good players (2nd pairing guys) and way more than two "complementary" (3rd pairing or 7th man) type guys.

 

So I will be looking to see if Hughes looks like he is in a different category from Boqvist, Bouchard, Dobson, and Smith (and Miller and McIsaac and Sandin), or whether he just looks like one of the group. .

 

 

[canucksnihilist]

19 hours ago, The Great Canucks said:

In other words, you weren't actually paying attention.

just stop.

[CanucksJay]

42 minutes ago, JamesB said:

It will also be interesting to see how Hughes compares with Bouchard, Dobson, and Ty Smith.

 

Of that group of 5 D-men, I think most people had Hughes first. Not that I have any inside information but, just based on numbers, scouting reports, and highlight videos, I had Hughes first in that group.

 

The situation reminded me of 2016 when Juolevi, Sergachev, Chychrun, Bean, and McAvoy were all in the picture except that I think the separation between Hughes and rest was more obvious, whereas it was hard to see much separation in 2017..

 

But I was thinking that it might make sense in both 2016 and 2018 to trade down and get one of the other 4 guys along with maybe another first round pick. In 2018 Smith did not go until #17. A combo of, say Dobson (#12) and Merkley (#21) would have been appealing, or even Smith and Merkley. I am not saying those deals or similar deals were available but something good must have been available.

 

Of course, one elite player (top of depth chart D) is worth more that two good players (2nd pairing guys) and way more than two "complementary" (3rd pairing or 7th man) type guys.

 

So I will be looking to see if Hughes looks like he is in a different category from Boqvist, Bouchard, Dobson, and Smith (and Miller and McIsaac and Sandin), or whether he just looks like one of the group. .

 

 

Yeah good points. For me, Hughes doesnt have to be head and shoulders above the rest of the pack. We had the first pick of all the d-men not named Dahlin so we should get the best D-man for our needs. This is a quick puck moving d-man. Having the full package like a crease clearing monster with a howitzer from the blue line would be great but i dont think any of boqvist, Bouchard, dobson, Smith have the full package. As a result as long as hughes is above average in his own zone but can be that guy that can transition the puck up ice and drive the play up ice, I'll be happy. My hope is that he is the best d-men to do that out of the group. Heading into the draft, the top 2 in that category was Hughes and Boqvist. 

But yes it'll be great to see where Hughes is at compared to his peers. 

[CanucksJay]

On 12/24/2018 at 1:29 AM, The Great Canucks said:

Excuse me? He has a high IQ. He can process the game at an elite level. The fact that you think otherwise just shows you don't even know what you are talking about.

 

And yes, he actually does look like the type of defenseman who will find his way into the NHL.

I would be shocked if Juolevi doesn't pan out to be even a 5th or 6th d-man. 

We were hoping for a solid number 2 or 3 d-man and a small outside chance of a 1D. He definitely thinks and processes the game to at least be a 6th d-man in the league which would be unfortunate for his draft position. I'm so hoping he finds his way into top 4

[CanucksJay]

Here's one more question do canucks have 4 players in wjhc? 

 

Hughes

Madden

Dipietro 

Utunen

 

Are there anymore? Pretty upset Woo got screwed. 

I would have loved to see him play for Canada in Vancouver

 

BTW, how the hell did Markus Phillips get on the team? Does he have family ties to hockey Canada? He seems to be in a completely different class (in a bad way) plus he's one of the older kids. 

Ofcourse this is just me looking and scrolling way to the bottom of the OHL stats page to find him. I actually don't know anything about him

 

Edited December 26, 2018 by CanucksJay

[WHL rocks]

24 minutes ago, CanucksJay said:

Yeah good points. For me, Hughes doesnt have to be head and shoulders above the rest of the pack. We had the first pick of all the d-men not named Dahlin so we should get the best D-man for our needs. This is a quick puck moving d-man. Having the full package like a crease clearing monster with a howitzer from the blue line would be great but i dont think any of boqvist, Bouchard, dobson, Smith have the full package. As a result as long as hughes is above average in his own zone but can be that guy that can transition the puck up ice and drive the play up ice, I'll be happy. My hope is that he is the best d-men to do that out of the group. Heading into the draft, the top 2 in that category was Hughes and Boqvist. 

But yes it'll be great to see where Hughes is at compared to his peers. 

Frankly Hughes does not have a big shot from the blue line.  He's more a puck career and play maker. 3 zone player but does not have the howitzer. At least not yet and he's on record saying he needs to work on the shot 

 

He also needs to work on D side of puck. NHL is big boy game. Can't  get away in nhl how the rover he is in ncaa . 

 

I think he's going to get lots of PP time next season with Canucks and be the 3rd pair rookie 5 on 5 learning the game next season

Edited December 26, 2018 by WHL rocks

[CanucksJay]

2 minutes ago, WHL rocks said:

Frankly Hughes does not have a big shot from the blue line.  He's more a o7ck career and play maker. 3 zone player bit does not have the howitzer. At least not yet and he's in record saying he needs to work on the shot 

 

He also needs to work on d side of pick. NHL is big boy game. Can y get away in nhl how the rover he is on ncaa . 

 

I think he's going to get lots of PP time next season with Canucks and be the 3rd pair rookie 5 on 5 learning the game next season

Even if Quinn doesn't add a hard slapper to his arsenal, the way he can control the puck while walking the blue line skating backwards, if he's able to get off a quick wrister (those seeing eye shots),that would be fine by me. We've had Virtanen and Brock score those off set plays from the face off this year. If Quinn can score or at least produce good tip in opportunities / rebounds, we'll be in good shape. 

[xereau]

 

[Dats hockey]

2 hours ago, CanucksJay said:

I would be shocked if Juolevi doesn't pan out to be even a 5th or 6th d-man. 

We were hoping for a solid number 2 or 3 d-man and a small outside chance of a 1D. He definitely thinks and processes the game to at least be a 6th d-man in the league which would be unfortunate for his draft position. I'm so hoping he finds his way into top 4

Only time will tell from what I seen in the AHL and how he has developed through Europe and how his game has translated to the AHL, IMHO he has a pretty good chance at become top2 but 3 at worst

[Dats hockey]

1 hour ago, WHL rocks said:

Frankly Hughes does not have a big shot from the blue line.  He's more a puck career and play maker. 3 zone player but does not have the howitzer. At least not yet and he's on record saying he needs to work on the shot 

 

He also needs to work on D side of puck. NHL is big boy game. Can't  get away in nhl how the rover he is in ncaa . 

 

I think he's going to get lots of PP time next season with Canucks and be the 3rd pair rookie 5 on 5 learning the game next season

Brock to the left of me EP to the right, here I am about to put the puck on someones tape.

 

I’m fine with him not having a Canon as long as he can create 

[Sedinyoureyesontheprize]

Five Questions with Quinn Hughes

United States defenseman discusses hopes for World Junior Championship, younger brother Jack

NHL.com's Q&A feature called "Five Questions With …" runs every Tuesday. We talk to key figures in the game and ask them questions to gain insight into their lives, careers and the latest news.

The latest edition features United States defenseman Quinn Hughes, who will play in the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship, which begins Wednesday:

Quinn Hughes knows his performance for the United States at the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship not only will be watched closely in his country, but also in Canada because he is the top defenseman prospect for the Vancouver Canucks.

The United States preliminary-round play in Group B against Slovakia in Victoria, British Columbia on Wednesday (6:30 p.m. ET; NHLN, TSN). Should the U.S. advance to the playoff round, Hughes will play in Vancouver and give fans there a glimpse into the near future.

"I'm excited the tournament will be in Vancouver and really excited to get back there, but right now it's not about Vancouver, it's about USA Hockey and trying to win this tournament," Hughes said.

Hughes, chosen No. 7 by the Canucks in the 2018 NHL Draft, is a sophomore at the University of Michigan. When he joined the U.S. for training camp in Everett, Washington, on Dec. 15, he was leading the Wolverines with 20 points (three goals, 17 assists) and a 1.18 points-per game average in 17 games.

He said right now he's directing his energy toward the tournament and the rest of his season with the Wolverines, not his future with the Canucks. 

"I'm not focused on signing next year," Hughes said. "I'm focused on USA Hockey and the tournament and hopefully doing something special at Michigan."

He added he's enjoyed the success the Canucks have had this season.  

"Yes it's exciting and so fun to watch the Canucks with the (Elias) Pettersson and Brock Boeser and all the young guys they have on the team," Hughes said. "They're doing really well this year so it's exciting for Canucks fans for sure."

He's earned the respect of his peers for his incredible skating ability, drive to create offense and his leadership on defense. Jack Hughes, his 17-year-old brother who is projected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft in Vancouver on June 21, has first-hand knowledge of this.

"He's not going to be the loudest guy in the room but he's the kind of guy that when something needs to be said, he'll say the right thing," Jack Hughes said. "He leads in his own way by the things he does, the way he works, and how he shows up every day. I think he's a huge part to the (U.S. National Junior Team) both on and off the ice and he'll be a leader for sure."

Here are Five Questions with … Quinn Hughes:

Despite winning a bronze medal with the United States at 2018 WJC in Buffalo, you expressed how disappointed you were with your performance with three assists in seven games. Do you expect more from yourself this year?

"I wasn't happy with my tournament last year so definitely I want to be better this year and want my tournament to go differently, which I think it will. I'm not too worried about that, though. I think we have a great group here and a lot of good players and pieces. What I learned from last year is that you have to take it one day at a time and you can't win the gold medal in one day. We just have to keep getting better every day. There are a lot of good countries, so we're going to need good goaltending and some bounces to go our way. I think, for us, we just have to stay humble and keep our heads down and keep working."

Are you looking forward to going up against your peers and other players affiliated with NHL clubs to show you are among the elite of the 2018 NHL Draft class?

"There are a lot of good players in this tournament and I want to be one of the better players, so for me, as a competitor, I look at that and will want to outplay some of these guys. I think for me, I'll focus on what I can do to help the team and if I do that, it should be good enough. I haven't really thought about who is on which NHL teams or anything like that, but I know this is going to be a real competitive tournament. Everyone, even those players not drafted, will be playing at a high level."

There have been so many memorable moments that have taken place at the World Junior Championship. What is your favorite?

"My generation grew up watching the John Carlson goal in overtime to give the U.S. (a 6-5 win) against Canada in the gold medal game of the 2010 WJC, which was sick, but the next generation will probably refer to Troy Terry's heroics in the shootouts at the 2017 WJC in Montreal. I think, for me, the one moment I'll never forget happened just before the start of the 2013 WJC when defenseman Seth Jones came out and said that the U.S. was the best team. I was in Canada watching TSN at the time he said it, and the Canadian media went nuts. They were like, 'Oh this American kid said they were going to win. How does Canada react?' They were asking the Canadian kids all tournament long, but Jones and the U.S. team backed up that prediction and won the gold medal. They even defeated Canada along the way, in the semifinal round (5-1). Talk about a bold prediction and then getting it done; that's something I'll never forget."

Will 15-year-old Luke Hughes, the youngest of the three Hughes brothers, be the best of the bunch?

"Hmm ... I don't know. We'll have to give Luke some time to develop, but he's having a great year for Little Caesars (in Detroit). He's bigger than me and Jack. We call it the 'Pop' gene because my Grandfather Pops (on his father's side) is like 6-foot-1 but everyone in our family is like 5-foot-10 or 5-foot-11. We're always wondering who will get the 'Pop' gene and it looks like Luke is going to be the winner; he's got it for sure. He's been playing great, too."

How has University of Michigan coach Mel Pearson helped improve your game?

"Coach has been great. I think he likes my defensive game, but overall wants to see me become a good leader, so I'm working at that. He's also stressing timing and shift length. When I say timing, I'm referring to knowing how much time is left in a period and when I can do stuff and when I shouldn't do stuff out there. I don't feel like I need to take risks; I just kind of try to make plays, that's all it is. I don't look at it as risks and I don't think I take many risks, but I feel the way I play is more about having confidence in my ability."

[D.B Cooper]

13 hours ago, CanucksJay said:

I'm looking forward to Hughes vs Boqvist comparisons this WJHC. Predraft i was in the Boqvist camp but came around super quickly when we drafted Hughes. 

It'll be interesting to see how the 2 have progressed in their d+1 year

Me too.  Boqvist has a lot of the same skills and benefits as Quinn, plus a massive shot, which Quinn definitely does not have.     

I’m fine we picked Hughes and will support him 100%, but I’m very interested to see how this goes.  

[higgyfan]

9 minutes ago, drummerboy said:

Me too.  Boqvist has a lot of the same skills and benefits as Quinn, plus a massive shot, which Quinn definitely does not have.     

I’m fine we picked Hughes and will support him 100%, but I’m very interested to see how this goes.  

And...Boqvist is almost a full year younger.  He will be an awesome dman for Chi. 

[The Lock]

On 12/24/2018 at 11:48 PM, canucksnihilist said:

was paying attention until you got all emotional like a high school kid

 

On 12/25/2018 at 2:34 AM, The Great Canucks said:

In other words, you weren't actually paying attention.

Do you 2 need a room or can you be adults? You're acting about the same really. lol

 

Will Juolevi make it? Maybe. Maybe not. We will see.

 

Was Juolevi a good pick at the draft? We needed defense and didn't have any high end defensive prospects so yes. I don't care what hindsight brings.

Edited December 26, 2018 by The Lock

[nergish]

42 minutes ago, drummerboy said:

Me too.  Boqvist has a lot of the same skills and benefits as Quinn, plus a massive shot, which Quinn definitely does not have.     

I’m fine we picked Hughes and will support him 100%, but I’m very interested to see how this goes.  

I think Chicago were smart to take him where they did, even with Bouchard, Dobson, etc. on the board.

When you're building a team for the future (which is what drafting is all about...), you always take the rare skillset, even if it means an underdeveloped body or longer-term development path. Boqvist stands out offensively with his puckhandling and shooting ability.

He's probably better than country-mate Liljegren already... I'd be more curious to see how those two compare, really.

 

Q. Hughes is something different altogether. His skating cannot be touched.

Boqvist might be faster in a straight line (even then, I'm doubtful), but it's Quinn's edgework and evasiveness that are truly unique... 
Some guys can deke, some guys can skate, and some have high hockey sense. Rarely, if ever, have we seen a Dman with all three abilities working equally to create time and space for himself and his teammates. We have never had a player like this in Vancouver.

We need to pad Quinn with bigger, stronger, more responsible defensemen around him in the lineup, but I can't think of a better player to integrate into our current roster with EP and Boeser. I wouldn't trade Quinn Hughes for any d-man outside the NHL, period. He's a lightning rod, and exactly what this team has needed for quite some time. 
No rocket from the point, but the open ice he'll provide for our shooters will more than make up for that. Also, maybe Tryamkin lines up with him one day... he's got a clapper.

 

 

 

[ReggieBush]

1 hour ago, drummerboy said:

Me too.  Boqvist has a lot of the same skills and benefits as Quinn, plus a massive shot, which Quinn definitely does not have.     

I’m fine we picked Hughes and will support him 100%, but I’m very interested to see how this goes.  

I don't mind Boqvist, but I just think Quinn thinks the game better and is a better skater. The knock on Boqvist for me was that I don't trust his defensive game at all.