Canucks does not risk the mysterious injury of Quinn Hughes

Vancouver: In an effort to maintain it “Forever”, the Vancouver Canucks will do everything possible to make Quinn Hughes happy. Except, he plays with him tonight against the avalanche of Colorado.

The Canucks coach Rick Tocchet confirmed to journalists after Tuesday’s morning skate that the team captain and the superstar defense will miss a second consecutive game with what appears to be an injury at the bottom of the body suffered during the Vancouver 5-3 defeat against Dallas stars on Friday.

Hughes sat the 3-2 defeat in extra time of the Canucks against the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday after taking the warm-up prior to the game at the Rogers Arena.

Tocchet said today that there has only been a “mild” improvement in the unveiled condition of Hughes.

“He won’t play tonight,” said the coach. “You know, he wants to gartain everything, but it is the correct movement.

“You take it day by day with him or with anyone. Then we’ll see. I’ve seen guys, things remain. (Y) I have seen some boys after 24 hours, things help. Then we will see how it is going. “

Hughes is expected, whose 59 points lead the Canucks for 25 and that he is having an even better season than during his Norris trophy campaign a year ago, it is essential for the US team. UU. In the four nations tournament That begins next week.

In the context of its availability for that exhibition event, it is important to remember, as Tocchet said, that the 25 -year -old is detained for the alignment of the Canucks. He wants to play, he feels able to play.

Hughes skated alone before the team on Tuesday morning and did not seem to be working on drills as he did during the third period in Dallas.

But Canucks are prudently trying to protect their most valuable player.

“We have not even talked about four nations, sincerely,” said Tocchet, who is part of the Team Canada team coaching staff, about Hughes. “It was (from) tonight, and then he is not playing tonight. As the days go by, we will have to visit that again. ”

Later in his press conference, Tocchet said: “Every time you have a guy like a quinn or that type of player, they play so much, every time they can rest, they have to take it. Because he plays many minutes, he plays many minutes of stress. They are not just the minutes, it is stress. He is always out there in stressful situations. Without playing the next games, use it as positive that you are resting. ”

Sportsnet clarified that for “upcoming game games”, Tocchet meant the Sunday and Tuesday games that Hughes will miss. A decision on Thursday’s route game against the San Jose Sharks has not been made.

The organization expects Hughes to practice on Wednesday and be in the alignment again before the schedule before the Canucks tournament ends with Saturday’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Vancouver.

Given what the Canucks have endured so far this season, and the emotional burden that Hughes has taken as captain in the middle of agitation, his injury should be serious so that the team denies the opportunity to play with his younger brother, Jack, in the first best tournament of their professional careers.

In his interview with the newspaper Globe and Mail last week, the president of the Canucks, Jim Rutherford, said about Hughes: “We would like to discover a way that he is here forever.”

The best defender in the history of the franchise has two more seasons after this in his Canucks contract.

The US team opens the four -nations tournament against Finland next Thursday in Montreal.

For Canucks, Hughes is irreplaceable. But his absence is slightly mitigated by the arrival in commerce last Friday of the defense of the first four Marcus Pettersson, who registered 26 minutes against the Wings Network. Another of the four new players harvested in the trade of JT Miller, the 22 -year -old defense Vittorio Mancini, could make his debut in Canucks against the avalanche.

Mancini was associated in the morning skate by Carson Saucy, the 30 -year -old who was healthy by Tocchet on Sunday.

“We have all gone through that,” Tocchet said about Soucy. “Sometimes you need, be it a restart or, you know, whatever, I hate saying a kick in the ass, but a little to drive you. We feel that I needed. “

Vancouver’s best defense matches will be Pettersson tonight with Tyler Myers and Derek Forbort with Filip Hronek. Thatcher Deny begins in the goal for the Canucks.