The most important two-year period in the history of the Vancouver Canucks begins this season, in what could be the second-last season of Quinn Hughes’ time in the city.

It’s no longer a secret that Hughes, whose contract expires at the end of the 2026-27 season, would very much like to play on the same team as brothers Jack and Luke one day. Whether that day is a year from now, two years from now or 10 years from now is up to Hughes. But it’s really up to the Canucks, who must show Hughes that Vancouver is a place where he can win.

Forget about making the playoffs. That goes without saying.

What the Canucks need to do is show that they can compete for a Stanley Cup.

Do that and maybe — just maybe — Hughes might think twice about leaving Vancouver as a UFA. At the very least, he’ll put off his plans until later in his career.

After all, while Hughes said he wants to play with his brothers, he didn't say actually when that would be. 

If the Canucks are winning, then there's no reason for him to leave. But if this season goes a lot like last season, when the Canucks had more drama than a daytime soap opera and failed to make the playoffs, then there's no reason for him to stick around.

It’s that simple. And for the Canucks, it’s that serious.

"Anything can change," Hughes told Sportsnet's 32 Thoughts Podcast earlier this week. "If we have a terrible year this year, that's not gonna be very fun. But if we have a terrific year, that's what we want … I'll just leave it at that."

The Canucks have to like what they heard from Hughes. This was him at his most honest and most desperate.

It's clear that he wants things to work out in Vancouver. It's also clear that last season left a scar on the 25-year-old that has yet to heal.

It could not have been fun to put together a Norris Trophy-caliber season while J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson were essentially having a War of Roses-type of battle in the background. Worse, it had to suck that the Canucks went from being the top team in the Pacific Division in 2024-25 to finishing behind Calgary with the fourth-worst record in the division.

Hugehs admitted as much when he let it slip at this week's NHL/NHLPA player media tour that it wasn't his brother Jack who first floated the idea of the three siblings teaming up one day.

The brothers have talked about and dreamed about all playing together one day. Who wouldn't? But that talk started to become more and more real as last season progressed. It goes without saying that had the Canucks been a championship contender, no one would have been talking about Hughes leaving Vancouver. But the worse things became, the more realistic the dream became.

That being said, Hughes is "excited to be in Vancouver."

For now, at least.

Devils' Jack Hughes Would Love To Play With Quinn Hughes: 'I'm Not Afraid To Say It' New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes made it clear he wants to play with his brother, Quinn Hughes.

"I just think I’ve been fortunate to play in Vancouver because of the fans and what a special place it is and how well you’re taken care of because they love their hockey so much and care about their hockey," said Hughes. "It’s normal in a Canadian market, and I feel like especially with how much noise there was last year, people want to know what direction the team’s going in, is there a direction and whatnot, etc., etc. So I can understand why it’s being brought up.

"I think if we had a terrific season last year and we were Cup contenders, I don’t think I would be the noise right now.”

While that noise hasn't completely gone away, it's been reduced to a hum after the Canucks promoted Adam Foote to be the coach, traded for Edmonton's Evander Kane and then re-signed goalie Thatcher Demko, Brock Boeser and Conor Garland extensions.

Still, there's a lot of work to be done.

Demko, who only played 21 games, will have to rebound in net. Pettersson, who had his worst season of his career, will have to get back to being a 100-point forward. And in a division where Vegas, Edmonton and Los Angeles are essentially locks to make the playoffs, the Canucks will have to show they once again can be a top team.

In other words, the Canucks need to bring some joy back into the dressing room.

Winning solves everything. So maybe, if the Canucks can win enough games, they can solve the issue surrounding Hughes' future.

If not, well, enjoy these next two years. It could be the final time you see Hughes in a Canucks jersey.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

Screen Shots: Quicker NHL Draft, Hughes Bros.' Future And New Care For NHL Alumni Welcome back to Screen Shots, where we tackle three hockey topics in shorter chunks. This edition comes after the NHL and NHLPA player media tour featured three days full of intriguing quotes and news.