Expectations and Goals for Canucks Captain Quinn Hughes in the 2024-2025 Season
As we begin our series previewing the Vancouver Canucks for the 2024-2025 NHL season, it’s fitting to start with Quinn Hughes, the team’s second-year captain. Hughes had an exceptional 2023-2024 season, setting several records and winning the Norris Trophy. His performance included a career-high 92 points—17 goals and 75 assists—in 82 games, surpassing his own franchise record from the previous season. He now holds multiple Canucks records for a defenseman, including most assists, points, and the best plus-minus in a single season.
Hughes also made history by becoming the first Canucks player to win the Norris Trophy. He finished with 92 points, narrowly edging out fellow nominees Cale Makar and Roman Josi. His plus-minus rating was particularly impressive, outperforming Makar by 23 points and Josi by 26 points. Hughes’ dominance in the league was further underscored by his seventh-place finish in Hart Memorial Trophy voting, which recognizes the NHL’s most valuable player.
Looking ahead to the 2024-2025 season, setting expectations for Hughes is challenging given his remarkable past season. The focus will shift from individual achievements to his role as team captain, where his success will be measured by the Canucks’ performance and playoff success. Here’s a breakdown of potential scenarios for Hughes’ upcoming season:
Meeting Expectations:
To meet expectations, Hughes should maintain his status as a point-per-game defenseman and help the Canucks reach the playoffs. Last season marked Hughes’ first point-per-game performance, with 92 points in 82 games. Although the expectation for him moving forward is to consistently achieve this level, it’s reasonable to anticipate some decline from his career-high totals. Nevertheless, if Hughes manages to surpass the 82-point mark and lead the team to the playoffs, it would signify meeting the expectations set for him.
The historical performance of Norris Trophy winners shows that while many experience a dip in the following season, Hughes is expected to maintain strong performance given the Canucks’ improved competitiveness. He is also expected to continue leveraging his improved shooting ability, which contributed to his career-high goal tally last season.
Exceeding Expectations:
Exceeding expectations would involve Hughes achieving 100 points and guiding the Canucks to the Western Conference Finals. While this may seem ambitious, it is within the realm of possibility considering Hughes was only eight points short of the 100-point mark last season. Additionally, the Canucks were close to reaching the Western Conference Finals, falling just short.
Historically, few defensemen who won the Norris Trophy managed to exceed their previous point totals the following season. The last instance of this happening was Erik Karlsson in the 2015-2016 season. If Hughes can surpass the century mark and lead the Canucks to a deeper playoff run, it would be a significant accomplishment.
Recent offseason moves by the Canucks, such as acquiring new offensive talent and bolstering the defense, could support Hughes in reaching these goals. Improved team performance and higher scoring games could facilitate Hughes reaching or surpassing the 100-point milestone.
Falling Short of Expectations:
The lower end of expectations would involve Hughes recording fewer than 65 points, a negative plus-minus rating, and the Canucks missing the playoffs. Such a scenario would be disappointing, especially considering Hughes’ recent performance and the increased attention he will face from opponents.
Historically, teams that advance to the second round of the playoffs often struggle the following season, with many failing to make the playoffs at all. If Hughes experiences a significant regression in performance, it could negatively impact the Canucks’ overall success and playoff chances.
Goals for Quinn Hughes in 2024-2025:
– Win the Norris Trophy again:
Repeating as the league’s top defenseman would solidify Hughes’ status among the elite.
– Break his own franchise record:
Achieving more than 92 points in a season would extend his record for the most points by a Canucks defenseman.
– Set the all-time points record:
Hughes needs 77 points to surpass Alexander Edler for the most points by a defenseman
