The Vancouver Canucks barely made it 12 months before another one of their best players started to check out emotionally. Last season's issue in Vancouver was the relationship between Elias Pettersson and JT Miller, which ended in Miller's departure to the New York Rangers. The newest rumor surrounding the Canucks is the potential trade of captain Quinn Hughes, and a lack of competitive energy in his body language is an all-too-familiar sight.
— Bik Nizzar (@BikNizzar) December 3, 2025
The latest body language moment came in the Canucks' loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday night. Hughes watched his teammates turn over the puck, which led him to give up on the play and slowly back-check. The Avalanche, who will make you pay for giving up on a play, quickly turned it into an odd-man rush, which almost resulted in a goal if it weren't for Kevin Lankinen.
Last week, Hughes came under fire for giving up on a puck on the powerplay. Pettersson had an ugly turnover on an attempted cross-ice pass, and Hughes didn't bother to attempt to regain possession. While Vancouver is trying to be patient with Hughes, it could be the second consecutive year where the front office has to trade one of its best players in-season.
Will a trade of Quinn Hughes result in a full-blown rebuild? The Canucks believed they had a core built that could compete with the rest of the league, but it has been a disaster. The question begs: What is going on in Vancouver, and is there any way to fix it?
