Red Wings chase playoffs against reeling Canucks. Hughes trade rumors swirl as Detroit eyes crucial win, boosted by surging offense and recent lineup stability.
On Monday, Quinn Hughes trade speculation returns to the forefront as the Detroit Red Wings, now seen as a leading contender in talks, prepare to face Hughes and the Vancouver Canucks in the third stop of their road trip. Detroit enters the game on a four-game point streak, looking to climb back into the playoff picture after falling from the top of the Atlantic Division. Vancouver, meanwhile, is trying to regain stability following a 3-7-3 stretch over their last 13 games, though they come off an impressive win over the Minnesota Wild.
Detroit has found recent lineup consistency, with Emmitt Finnie, Dylan Larkin, and Lucas Raymond leading the top line, while Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane continue to produce with a rotating center. The Red Wings’ depth has contributed significantly, with nine forwards recording points recently and defensemen Moritz Seider and Ben Chiarot combining for five goals over the last eight games. Cam Talbot is expected in goal as Detroit continues to search for answers in net, having allowed 38 goals in the last nine games.
Vancouver remains hampered by injuries to key players including Nils Hoglander, Teddy Blueger, Filip Chytil, Thatcher Demko, and Elias Pettersson. The Canucks rely on Evander Kane, Conor Garland, Brock Boeser, Jake DeBrusk, and a defensive core anchored by Hughes, Filip Hronek, and Marcus Pettersson. Detroit has historically had the edge in this matchup, winning six of the last eight games against Vancouver, and recent contests have been high-scoring, with four of the last six games featuring seven or more goals.
James van Riemsdyk has been Detroit’s hottest player, scoring in five of his last six games and tallying three points in six matchups versus Vancouver, while Kane has recorded five points in his last five games against Detroit. Goaltender matchups feature Cam Talbot for Detroit, who has a 14-3-5 career record against Vancouver, and Kevin Lankinen for the Canucks, who is 5-2-1 against Detroit, adding another layer of intrigue to a competitive contest.
Detroit Red Wings’ Expected Line Combinations vs. Vancouver (Monday):
Finnie – Larkin – Raymond
DeBrincat – Copp – Kane
Soderblom – Danielson – Kasper
van Riemsdyk – Compher – Rasmussen
Edvinsson – Seider
Chiarot – Sandin-Pellikka
Johansson – Benard-Docker
Gibson
Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites!
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 or creating your own post in our community forum.