Player Discussion Quinn Hughes, Pt. VI

[clay]

Stecher is a third-pair player.

This is due to his lack of production. While not elite defensively, Stecher's very responsible in his own zone and competes hard. He is very competent in his own end. If Hughes emulated these traits he would be a much better overall player.

 

[Regress2TheMeme]

Why aren't Schmidt and Hughs being tried together? Why are they insisting on spreading out the defensive depth this year but not last year?

 

[VNCVR]

Why aren't Schmidt and Hughs being tried together? Why are they insisting on spreading out the defensive depth this year but not last year?

I can understand the logic at the beginning, for it to not be their first attempt. But things are not working well and Hughes is very important and you want him playing a lot and with somebody who can really elevate him. Schmidt should be tried.

But I am almost certain speed is Hughes issue this year, another reason why Schmidt might be a good option to be with him

I am hoping the course of the season and all the bike riding, Hughes slims back down. Obviously this is speculative but he's noticeable slower and it's clear that's what is impacting his defensive game.

 

[BoHorvat 53]

I have no dog in the Suzuki vs Petterson comparison but suspect many would be surprised by results of a poll of NHL GMs (IF one was taken) on who they would select in a 2017 draft re-do

Uhh...what? This has gotta be amongst the worst takes on this site. Suzuki’s career high is 41 points. A 10 game sample doesn’t change anything. Pettersson would be in the convo for first overall with Makar while Suzuki wouldn’t even be a top-5 pick. Good try though.

 

[Hansen]

Uhh...what? This has gotta be amongst the worst takes on this site. Suzuki’s career high is 41 points. A 10 game sample doesn’t change anything. Pettersson would be in the convo for first overall with Makar while Suzuki wouldn’t even be a top-5 pick. Good try though.

You say that as if he's a grizzled vet. The hype is too much but that goes with Montreal. That said I think Suzuki is one of the smartest C's in the league and will be a PPG player for a long time. He very well could be on par with Petey, who has shown an extra gear above that but hasn't shown consistency at that level (yet, or maybe his entry to the league just set the bar too high)

 

[M2Beezy]

I have no dog in the Suzuki vs Petterson comparison but suspect many would be surprised by results of a poll of NHL GMs (IF one was taken) on who they would select in a 2017 draft re-do

Please suprise us then with your insider GM knowledge

We will patiently wait

 

[BoHorvat 53]

You say that as if he's a grizzled vet. The hype is too much but that goes with Montreal. That said I think Suzuki is one of the smartest C's in the league and will be a PPG player for a long time. He very well could be on par with Petey, who has shown an extra gear above that but hasn't shown consistency at that level (yet, or maybe his entry to the league just set the bar too high)

Consistency? He just put up 2 back to back season with both essentially being a PPG at the same point total. A 10 game stretch doesn’t make Suzuki on the same level as Pettersson - at least not yet lol. Let him maintain this for a season, then we’ll see. We’ve seen Pettersson do this for 2 straight years. A bad 10 game stretch has you seriously calling our most consistent best player inconsistent at that level? Not level headed at all. Pettersson will rebound from this.

 

[Hansen]

Consistency? He just put up 2 back to back season with both essentially being a PPG at the same point total. A 10 game stretch doesn’t make Suzuki on the same level as Pettersson - at least not yet lol. Let him maintain this for a season, then we’ll see. We’ve seen Pettersson do this for 2 straight years. A bad 10 game stretch has you seriously calling our most consistent best player inconsistent at that level? Not level headed at all. Pettersson will rebound from this.

You still don't get it, theyre both super early in their careers lol (not about the 10 game stretch)

It's easy to bet on the guy you're a fan of and have watched every single game of his vs the dude who has one year less experience and you havent seen every game of

 

[RobertKron]

Uhh...what? This has gotta be amongst the worst takes on this site. Suzuki’s career high is 41 points. A 10 game sample doesn’t change anything. Pettersson would be in the convo for first overall with Makar while Suzuki wouldn’t even be a top-5 pick. Good try though.

Not to say anything about Suzuki one way or the other, but citing his "career high" as though it's significant when that meaningless 10 game sample accounts for more than 10% of his entire career is a bit weird.

 

[VanJack]

Obvious from this game tonight that teams are targeting Hughes with special punishment.....late hits, slashes and trips....you name it and he's being singled out. When Simmonds went out of his way to ram him along with boards in the late stages of a 7-3 laugher, it says everything about where Hughes and the Canucks are at right now.

Kudos to Jordie Benn for answering the bell......but this team is soft and slow. Hughes and Pettersson better keep their heads on a swivel, because teams feel they can go after them with impunity.

 

[Brock Boeser Laser Show]

Canucks need to be a better job of insulating Quinn. Right now he’s being asked to do too much and has a massive target on his back.

sigh.... I miss the days where we had a loaded deep defense. Nobody would be shitting in Hughes if we had legit top 4 guys to surround him with.

 

[VanJack]

Hughes might be trying to play through an injury....at least that's what is being hinted...He now has the worst record on being on the ice for even strength goals in the entire league.

If that's the case they should shut down down until he's 100 percent. But an increasingly desperate coach will continue to send him out there, feeling that even at 70 percent he's still a threat on the pp.

 

[Raistlin]

He is clearly not the same player that played game 16 in the playoffs, and the whole league is noticing and shitting on him. If he is indeed hurt, he should sit and basically let the team chase a lottery pick. If he bulked up too much, then maybe use the time to slim back down.

 

[VanJack]

NHL teams watch reams of video footage....they can readily see what individual players are doing to break them down, and they focus on taking that away.

So far this season, it's readily apparent what teams are doing to neutralize Hughes. He's being victimized by the 'soft dump in' into his corner and then two forecheckers box him in. Even if he beats one guy, the other guy gets him into a board battle where his stature and lack of 'heaviness' works against him.

It's no mystery why he's been on the ice for more five-on-five goals against than any d-man the in league. Now the ball is in the Canucks court to adapt. Maybe they have to think about pairing him with another offensive, rushing d-man. Come to think of it, a Hughes-Rathbone pairing would be an scary adventure, but fun to watch.

Whatever they try, it's up to the Canucks coaching staff to make the next move. But they should have anticipated this before the season even started.

 

[CanucksSayEh]

Every pairing is forcing passes through opposing players. Guys getting double teamed, even on the PP! There's someone, somewhere wide open, yet never even on the TV screen. Tanev-Hughes made easy little passes between them, then up ice, tick tack toe. Everyone is a mess right now, no forwards giving anyone options or covering for eachother. Zero instict, the only play they know is turnover.

 

[MS]

NHL teams watch reams of video footage....they can readily see what individual players are doing to break them down, and they focus on taking that away.

So far this season, it's readily apparent what teams are doing to neutralize Hughes. He's being victimized by the 'soft dump in' into his corner and then two forecheckers box him in. Even if he beats one guy, the other guy gets him into a board battle where his stature and lack of 'heaviness' works against him.

It's no mystery why he's been on the ice for more five-on-five goals against than any d-man the in league. Now the ball is in the Canucks court to adapt. Maybe they have to think about pairing him with another offensive, rushing d-man. Come to think of it, a Hughes-Rathbone pairing would be an scary adventure, but fun to watch.

Whatever they try, it's up to the Canucks coaching staff to make the next move. But they should have anticipated this before the season even started.

Yup.

Vegas shredded him in the playoffs last year and there are no secrets in this league. I’m sure he’ll adjust but it isn’t something that happens overnight.

 

[Royal Canuck]

NHL teams watch reams of video footage....they can readily see what individual players are doing to break them down, and they focus on taking that away.

So far this season, it's readily apparent what teams are doing to neutralize Hughes. He's being victimized by the 'soft dump in' into his corner and then two forecheckers box him in. Even if he beats one guy, the other guy gets him into a board battle where his stature and lack of 'heaviness' works against him.

It's no mystery why he's been on the ice for more five-on-five goals against than any d-man the in league. Now the ball is in the Canucks court to adapt. Maybe they have to think about pairing him with another offensive, rushing d-man. Come to think of it, a Hughes-Rathbone pairing would be an scary adventure, but fun to watch.

Whatever they try, it's up to the Canucks coaching staff to make the next move. But they should have anticipated this before the season even started.

IMO you need someone who's stay-at-home to pair with Hughes. Tanev was perfect because he had good foot speed and could always make sure Hughes had a guy behind him who could switch onto guys fast and allow Quinn to focus on his game offensively. This year Quinn is activating with no help whatsoever and nobody covering him. He's been losing puck battles in the corners and the team as a collective group hasn't been bailing him out at all. In a perfect world, Travis Hamonic regains his legs and becomes a true shutdown guy that's a right shot and could help out, but I'm not sure you want him playing 26 minutes a night, whereas you want Quinn out as much as possible to keep the puck moving.

It's tricky, but I don't think sticking one offensive-minded D with another is a great idea.

 

[Grape]

He hasn't regressed offensively this season and his defensive regression was already occurring in the second half of last season. I watched a couple of his NCAA games and didn't come away with the impression that he was a strong defender inside his own blue line; the surprise for me early last season was that he managed as well as he did. That came to a crashing halt, sort of in the manner that happens to some rookie hitters in baseball who have a strong start until pitchers discover their big weakness.

Some of his positioning and awareness issues will improve with experience but the lack of size is always going to be a problem.

I would still say he regressed offensively. It doesn't seem that way with points, but his points are coming off of plays that a lot of other players can make as well. He isn't as dynamic on offense, and he hasn't been creating at the level of efficiency that we saw in his first and second year (if you count his first year as the first few games he played).

I would say the baseball analogy would be fine if Quinn was just getting figured out, but he is clearly not as fast as he used to be. I think that could do with unnecessary weight being added, injury, too much ice time, or god forbid weird ass genetics that had him peak physically at 20 y/o

 

[Diversification]

NHL teams watch reams of video footage....they can readily see what individual players are doing to break them down, and they focus on taking that away.
...
It's no mystery why he's been on the ice for more five-on-five goals against than any d-man the in league. Now the ball is in the Canucks court to adapt. Maybe they have to think about pairing him with another offensive, rushing d-man. Come to think of it, a Hughes-Rathbone pairing would be an scary adventure, but fun to watch.

Whatever they try, it's up to the Canucks coaching staff to make the next move. But they should have anticipated this before the season even started.

Fat chance that happens. The obvious counter, which they won't do because Green, is to have his d partner on the opposite corner as a release valve and a winger down low give Benn an easy pass up the boards for a break out or back to Hughes. But as I said, fat chance. They'll just let QH 'figure it out'.

 

[Hit the post]

Fat chance that happens. The obvious counter, which they won't do because Green, is to have his d partner on the opposite corner as a release valve and a winger down low give Benn an easy pass up the boards for a break out or back to Hughes. But as I said, fat chance. They'll just let QH 'figure it out'.

Benning inherited a 24 year old Tanev (but Gillis left Benning nothing lol..) and what did he do with that? Squat. Heck, I think Edler was about the same he as Schmidt is now when Jethro Bodine was made GM.

 

[Diversification]

Benning inherited a 24 year old Tanev (but Gillis left Benning nothing lol..) and what did he do with that? Squat. Heck, I think Edler was about the same he as Schmidt is now when Jethro Bodine was made GM.

I agree that Benning needs to go. Still doesn't account for Green's seeming inability to make adjustments. Both need to go.

 

[theguardianII]

I have not been posting here very often but I have been on Twitter and CDC.

I have been pounding the boards about Hughes lack of defence.
I have not read through this thread so I am sure I cannot be the only fan to notice.

But I get to say it here without threats, suspensions, astro surfed or getting banned.

Hughes defence is horrible, If Green wants his best chance to win right now he has to bench Hughes except for the PP.

A minus 13 and having 17 points means he has been on the ice when the other team has scored 30 goals against. Pretty much half the goals against.

Scoring 17 goals might be really good but stopping 30 goals might win more games

And Hughes thinks he is playing good defence! Oh where are you Torts? Someone needs to tell this kid the difference between black and white. But then under Benning he is playing REEELL GUD

 

[Zarpan]

NHL teams watch reams of video footage....they can readily see what individual players are doing to break them down, and they focus on taking that away.

Probably helped this year by only needing to focus on six other teams in the Canadian division.

 

[SamInVan]

I have not been posting here very often but I have been on Twitter and CDC.

I have been pounding the boards about Hughes lack of defence.
I have not read through this thread so I am sure I cannot be the only fan to notice.

But I get to say it here without threats, suspensions, astro surfed or getting banned.

Hughes defence is horrible, If Green wants his best chance to win right now he has to bench Hughes except for the PP.

A minus 13 and having 17 points means he has been on the ice when the other team has scored 30 goals against. Pretty much half the goals against.

Scoring 17 goals might be really good but stopping 30 goals might win more games

And Hughes thinks he is playing good defence! Oh where are you Torts? Someone needs to tell this kid the difference between black and white. But then under Benning he is playing REEELL GUD

Huggy is clearly not the same player.

1. Hughes is playing within the worst defensive system in the league.
2. Tanev was a big reason we didn't see defensive deficiencies last year.
3. Confidence....no swagger this year so far.
4. Hughes plays under Green. See point number 1.

My 2 cents...cheers.

 

[LaVal]

A minus 13 and having 17 points means he has been on the ice when the other team has scored 30 goals against. Pretty much half the goals against.

He's been on the ice for 27 goals against. You don't receive a + for scoring on the powerplay, nor a - for being scored on while shorthanded.