As we move into 2026, the hope would be the incessant hand wringing about Quinn Hughes would abate. Alas, it won’t.<\/p>\n
Published Dec 23, 2025 \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 5 minute read<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n You can save this article by registering for free here<\/a>. Or sign-in<\/a> if you have an account.<\/p>\n Welcome to Canucks Live. Here we\u2019ll highlight some of the news that drops daily about the Canucks. Come back throughout the day as we update with all the news you need to know. If you haven\u2019t done so already, sign up for our Canucks Report<\/a> to get our stories delivered to your inbox every day.<\/p>\n Advertisement 2<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. 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Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events.Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account.The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.<\/p>\n REGISTER \/ SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.<\/p>\n THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an Account<\/p>\n or<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Well, it was nice while it lasted. The Canucks four-game winning streak was snapped in Philadelphia on Monday and now the team is off for Christmas until the 27th, when they play the Sharks at Rogers Arena<\/a>, your first chance to see the new players acquired from the Minnesota Wild in person. After that, it\u2019s a game down the I-5 in Seattle on the 29th and the Flyers and Rick Tocchet<\/a> back in Vancouver on the 30th. Not the semi-traditional New Year\u2019s Eve visit from the Flyers, but close enough. Let\u2019s hope the Canucks can be a little closer in that one. You should check out Ben Kuzma\u2019s report card<\/a> grading the players, we\u2019ll give you a taste with how the new players were judged:<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Marco Rossi (C)<\/p>\n Good defensive awareness in own zone, good slot chance, won 53 per cent of draws.<\/p>\n Canucks Report<\/p>\n Thanks for signing up!<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Advertisement 3<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Liam Ohgren (C)<\/p>\n Quieter night for fourth line. Missing forecheck presence. Scoring chance off flank.<\/p>\n Zeev Buium (C)<\/p>\n Late shoulder hit from Michkov. Quick transitions, good awareness, needs PP1 QB work.\u00a0<\/p>\n As we move into 2026, the hope would be the incessant hand wringing about Quinn Hughes<\/a> would abate. Alas, it won\u2019t. Trading away one of the top four players in franchise history in his prime is going to bring \u201cwhat ifs\u201d for years. But it\u2019s interesting to see the impact he\u2019s making in Minnesota continue to be one of the top storylines in the NHL. Shayna Goldman of The Athletic wrote about that impact in a piece looking at NHL trends<\/a> into 2026.<\/p>\n The Minnesota Wild have generated a reputation for being \u2026 well, mild.<\/p>\n In recent years, the team has generally done enough to reach the playoffs but hasn\u2019t made a strong enough impact when it counts. Management hasn\u2019t done enough to change that, with low-key trades and quieter off-seasons.<\/p>\n Advertisement 4<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n That is, until this year.<\/p>\n It started in early fall when the Wild signed Kirill Kaprizov to a record-setting eight-year, $136 million extension. And then the team made a franchise-altering trade a couple of weeks ago to bring in Quinn Hughes<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Wild \u201csacked up\u201d to bring one of the best defencemen in the world, which has quickly changed their entire outlook. In Hughes, Minnesota has added a true game breaker, whose dynamic all-around skill set has already elevated this team. He has already revitalized an underperforming power play and stepped into pivotal even-strength minutes alongside Brock Faber.\u00a0<\/p>\n Generally, Jonas Brodin shoulders the heaviest matchup burden for the Wild. On Saturday, it was Hughes going head-to-head with McDavid. In their 12-minute matchup, the Wild had a 17-13 edge in shot attempts and a 75 per cent xG rate and outscored Edmonton 1-0. If the Wild keep sending Hughes over the boards for the toughest matchups, it could unlock another element of his game as well \u2014 since the Canucks generally didn\u2019t task him with that workload.\u00a0<\/p>\n Advertisement 5<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n The Hughes factor is obviously massive for this season, but there is even more to watch for over the next year since he is eligible for an extension July 1. And barring another trade before September, the Wild are the only team that can offer him eight years before the new CBA kicks in. It\u2019s not the same as the original Quinn Hughes sweepstakes, which ended earlier than expected with the trade to the Wild, but there is still a lot of intrigue here. <\/p>\n Goldman is one of the best national NHL writers out there, you should give it a read. And while there isn\u2019t any specific Canucks content in this article, there is local interest where she highlights Macklin Celebrini and Connor Bedard as the next wave of NHL excellence.<\/p>\n Top draft picks such as McDavid, MacKinnon and Jack Eichel have set the bar high for players drafted first and second overall. So when someone such as Celebrini emerges as an immediate star, it\u2019s a big deal.<\/p>\n Advertisement 6<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Celebrini made an instant impact in San Jose last season; his transition game, dangerous passing and primary scoring-chance contributions quickly put his elite skill set on display. And this season he has kicked it up a notch, which has helped the Sharks hang in the playoff picture.<\/p>\n Celebrini is dancing around the ice nightly and has the vision and patience to slow the game down. With 54 points, Celebrini ranks third in scoring, behind McDavid and MacKinnon. The big question is whether he can keep this up across a full season \u2014 at this rate, he is on pace for 123 points.<\/p>\n That glow-up is what Bedard is experiencing this season with the Chicago Blackhawks, and increased speed is a key part of it: He\u2019s up to 76 20-plus m.p.h. speed bursts in 31 games, according to NHL Edge data, compared with a total of 90 in 82 games last year. That speed is helping him create more off the rush and drive to the scoring areas, which has contributed to his climb up the scoring charts with 19 goals in 31 games (which had him tied for fourth at the time of his injury on Dec. 12).<\/p>\n Advertisement 7<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Depending on when Bedard returns, he could still be looking at a 40-goal season if he can keep up this pace, which is exciting enough. Still, the injury could be what keeps him off Team Canada. That could lead to a spite-fuelled return that only adds spice to his rise this season.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Trade rumours are an industry in hockey media. And while there\u2019s legitimate frenzy over a team like the Canucks putting an absolute top-shelf player on the market like Hughes, when you have shows like TSN\u2019s \u201cInsider Trading\u201d you kind of have to create content<\/a> even if there\u2019s not much there. So, now Hughes is gone, now apparently we\u2019re talking about Thatcher Demko<\/a>. Well, we\u2019re not, they are. An oft-injured goalie who is elite when healthy in a league where general managers are historically reticent of giving up any real value for a goalie is on the block?<\/p>\n Check back for more Canucks news throughout the day \u2026<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Share this article in your social network<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Breadcrumb Trail Links NHLVancouver Canucks As we move into 2026, the hope would be the incessant hand wringing…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":364147,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[433],"tags":[49,48,448,82],"class_list":{"0":"post-364146","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nhl","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-nhl","11":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/364146","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=364146"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/364146\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/364147"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=364146"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=364146"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=364146"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Philadelphia](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/cp175517154_300485312.jpg\")
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