The Vancouver Canucks have been one of the most active teams leading up to the NHL’s free agent frenzy. Last week, the Canucks acquired left winger Evander Kane from the Edmonton Oilers – an ostensible replacement for the likely departure of right winger Brock Boeser – and more recently, news arrived that right winger Conor Garland was signing a long-term contract extension with the Canucks.

Then, on Monday, a Daily Faceoff report revealed that Vancouver was nearing a contract extension for star goaltender Thatcher Demko. And what do some of these moves have in common? Well, in the case of Garland and Demko, they’re both close friends with Canucks superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes. 

Thus, it makes a lot of sense why Vancouver GM Patrik Allvin was retaining the services of Demko and Garland, as well as promoting another Hughes ally in coach Adam Foote. If the Canucks are to have any hope of re-signing Hughes when he becomes a UFA two years from now, they need to keep Hughes happy – and they need Garland and Demko to persuade Hughes to stick around.

In addition, the flurry of moves by Vancouver fits in with the notion the Canucks believe last season’s struggles and failure to make the Stanley Cup playoffs were just a blip on the radar, and that Vancouver will be right back in the thick of things in the Pacific Division race in 2025-26. Indeed, with a happy Demko in tow, and tandem-mate Kevin Lankinen also locked up for the long-term, the Canucks have one of the best netminding duos in the league. And they’ve still got a lot of talent to help them get back into the playoff mix.

All that is to say that Vancouver brass are doing everything in their power to keep Hughes in B.C. for his entire NHL career. As Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford infamously noted in May, Vancouver management is well-aware that Hughes may be tempted to eventually join his brothers Jack and Luke Hughes in New Jersey. But moves like signing Demko and Garland and acquiring Kane are all about the Canucks trying their hardest to show Hughes he should want to remain with the only NHL team he’s ever known.

Many things can change between now and the time Hughes has to either commit to remaining a Canuck or departing via free agency or a trade. Injuries and trades can change the mix in Vancouver’s room, but you can’t say that Allvin and Rutherford aren’t doing their utmost to show Hughes why he should stay in Vancouver. 

Time will tell whether their efforts have achieved their goal. But as it stands right now, Canucks management is in full cheerleader mode to convince Hughes to remain in Vancouver.

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