The Pacific division has had no answer for Vancouver Canucks superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes this season.
The Pacific division has had no answer for Vancouver Canucks superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes this season.
The Pacific division has had no answer for Vancouver Canucks superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes this season.
Quinn Hughes is enjoying the best season of his young career. In his fifth full season in the NHL, Hughes has already set a career-high in goals and is on pace to shatter his career-high in points and assists.
Hughes is tied with Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar for the most points by a defenseman and is one goal behind Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin for the most goals.
A massive part of Hughes' offensive success this year comes from his dominance over the Pacific division.
Hughes has 13 games played, six goals, 16 assists, 22 points, plus-12 against his own division.
His numbers against non-pacific division teams are still solid as he's played 31, scored five goals, 25 assists, 30 points, plus 21. Here is what The Hockey News' Jonathan Tovell had to say about Hughes in his latest article, FIVE NHL SKATERS UPPING THEIR SCORING AGAINST DIVISION RIVALS IN 2023-24.
"Hughes has one more goal against his division than against the other three despite having played 18 fewer matches versus the Pacific. If he also produced at a 1.69 point-per-game rate against the Metropolitan, Central and Atlantic Divisions, Hughes could still be in the hunt for the Art Ross Trophy with a hypothetical 74 points."
There could be several reasons why his numbers are better against Pacific division teams. Because Hughes has played many games against the Pacific division teams, there could be a comfort factor that has settled in for him. His understanding of how these teams like to defend him and defend in general allows him to exploit them.
The other reason could be that the division is relatively weak. Three of the bottom ten teams play in the Pacific division. The Calgary Flames and Seattle Kraken are the following two teams just outside the bottom ten. Hughes has scored three of his 11 goals against the last-place San Jose Sharks and has added 11 points as well.
Hughes is currently one of the front runners for the Norris Trophy, with his strong play being a significant factor in the reason the Canucks are considered Stanley Cup contenders.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.
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