Hughes' staggering on-ice numbers only reason Vancouver Canucks have playoff chance
Where would the Vancouver Canucks be without Quinn Hughes? That’s a question anyone who has watched this team for a game this season has definitely asked themselves.
After winning the Norris Trophy last season, Hughes has been even better this year. He has 16 goals and 67 points in 57 games, good for 1.18 points per game, best among defencemen and the ninth-best among all NHL skaters.
Every time Hughes steps on the ice, he transforms the Canucks. He’s playing 25:31 per night, nearly half the game, and if you separate the minutes when he’s on ice compared to when he’s sitting, the Canucks look like two different teams.
The Canucks have outscored opponents 59-44 when he’s on the ice at five-on-five and been outscored 94-75 while he’s resting. There is not another Canucks defenceman, except Hughes’ regular partner Filip Hronek, with better than a 50% goal differential at five-on-five.
During those Hughes minutes, the Canucks controlled 56.55% of the shots. Without him on the ice, they control just 45.86% of the shots.
His relative numbers, which pit his stats against when he’s dressed but not on the ice, truly show his dominance. He’s got the best relative Corsi, best relative shot share, second best relative goals share, and best relative expected goals share among NHL defencemen per NaturalStatTrick. There is no other player who stands out in such a manner.
With Hughes, the Canucks score 3.11 five-on-five goals per 60 minutes. That’s better than any team, as the Washington Capitals lead the NHL at 3.05 and 14th among NHL defencemen, despite the Canucks lacking quality finishers.
The captain’s offensive output is made more impressive by the fact the Canucks don’t have a forward with more than 45 points. Elias Pettersson is their top non-Hughes scorer with 45 points in 64 games, more than 20 behind Hughes despite playing seven more contests.
While Hughes is playing like a Hart Trophy candidate, he’s unlikely to win any major awards because he’s already missed 14 games.
Beyond what he’s doing on the ice, Hughes is just as important to the team away from it. In his second year as captain, he’s helped the Canucks through a season which has involved drama in the dressing room and plenty of obstacles to overcome.
Without Hughes, this Canucks team would be a mess. He’s been a guiding force that has kept them in the playoff hunt despite facing a world of adversity this season. While players like Cale Makar may steal some of the spotlight this season because of their clean bill of health and team success, Hughes has put together one of the best campaigns in team history.