Quinn Hughes' Defensive Game Has Deserved Recognition For A Few Years

Join us as we dissect Quinn Hughes' defensive journey, from his early struggles to his remarkable improvements on the ice. In this video, we discuss how he's elevated himself into a more well-rounded and formidable defenseman.

There will be no more Quinn Hughes detractors on the timeline. Admittedly, I had a front row seat to Quinn Hughes for a while, but the notion that Hughes is a one-dimensional defenceman is inaccurate. Hughes has made steady defensive improvements to his game season after season and has evolved into one of the NHL's best two-way defenders. 

Offensively, Hughes has been fantastic since he entered the league. That was never in question, but even his offensive game has continued to develop. He's a more active shooter, and uses his shot to disguise excellent passes. When he shoots the puck, he creates more rebounds and has a knack for getting shots through traffic. His point totals mirror his offensive improvement. 

Defensively is where Hughes gets a lot of unjust criticism. Generally speaking, the Canucks have not been a good defensive team for some time. That does not extend to Hughes who has made significant strides and continues to improve each season. He's learned to use his elite skating ability to maintain tight gaps in transition and turn pucks up ice. The modern day defenceman does not need to be a monster in size or a bruiser in the corner. They need to make clean first passes, prevent scoring chances and create in transition. Quinn Hughes does all of those for 25 minutes a night on average against the tough competition. 

He's currently on pace for his best offensive and defensive seasons by expected value. The offensive numbers are flashy and easy to pick out. The real value is in Hughes' improved defensive game where he anchors the back end to help propel Vancouver's positive start. According to Hockey-Reference, Hughes leads the Canucks in defensive point shares and maintains a respectable 46% xGF% while the Canucks have a 38% xGF% as a team at 5v5. Not only is he playing high leverage minutes, he's consistently and noticeably shutting down the opponent's best players. 

When players make improvements to their game, they usually go unnoticed unless it shows up on the scoresheet. Hughes' offensive improvements are more noticeable but his defensive game has improved the most. He hasn't been a one-dimensional player for a few seasons now and needs to be recognized as one of the top defenders in the NHL, on both sides of the puck.