Canucks To Be Without Defenseman

Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes has entered COVID protocol. This comes just one day after his brother Jack did. 

Canucks general manager Jim Rutherford also noted that Hughes has been ruled out Vancouver's next three games and hopes that he will return for February 17th's contest against the San Jose Sharks.

Just talked with Jim Rutherford on Quinn Hughes in covid protocol - He was at the all-star game in Vegas, tough break for us, we are scratching and clawing to stay in this race. He will not be available for us the next 3 games, hoping Feb 17th in San Jose.

— Rick Dhaliwal (@DhaliwalSports) February 7, 2022

Over these next three games, the Canucks play the Arizona Coyotes, New York Islanders, and Toronto Maple Leafs. Out of the three, the Leafs appear to be the biggest challenge, but the Islanders aren't a walk in the park, either.

At this point of the season, the Canucks have a 20-20-6 record and are trying to claw themselves back into the playoff picture. Being without their best offensive defenseman will not help their chances of doing that. It's been another very good year for the 22-year-old, as he has two goals, 32 assists, and a plus-10 rating. That kind of production will be hard to replace.

The Canucks will now have to adjust without Hughes in their lineup for the next three games at least. It will be interesting to see how they perform without him.

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