Quinn Hughes drops ‘obligated’ truth bomb amid Canucks struggles

Quinn Hughes and the Vancouver Canucks are fighting for their playoff lives. Vancouver has had an up-and-down season. The Canucks have struggled at times, but they have also looked like a playoff team at other times. At this point, though, the margin of error is extremely small. There are only a handful of games left, and Vancouver is outside of a playoff spot.

It’s been a difficult season for a variety of reasons in Vancouver. Hughes has played extremely well on the ice. However, issues on and off the ice have plagued this team. And as its captain, Hughes is certainly feeling pressure to steer the ship in the right direction.

“This team named me captain, and I feel obligated to be a successful team here,” Hughes told Sportsnet. “That weighs heavily on me; I want to do something here.

“Like, they made me captain. Are you going to do what you said you would do? Are you going to help the situation and make this a successful organization? Obviously, one guy can’t do that. But I definitely feel obligated, where that weighs heavy on my mind that they entrusted me with that.

“This year has been hard, and I want to find a way to put us in a situation where we can be really successful and ultimately win (a Stanley Cup). I appreciate the fans and the fact that there’s never been a Cup in Vancouver. I definitely think about that quite a bit, as well,” the Canucks captain continued.

These comments are certainly interesting given the timing. Beyond the upcoming Stanley Cup Playoffs, Hughes can negotiate a contract extension in July 2026. The superstar defenseman clearly wants to win a Stanley Cup. It will certainly be interesting to see where Vancouver is as a team when it’s time to head to the negotiating table.

The Canucks are not officially out of a playoff spot at this time. But they are certainly hanging on for dear life. They are six points back of the Minnesota Wild for the West’s final Wild Card spot. Vancouver has a chance to get in the win column on Thursday when they take on the Colorado Avalanche in Denver.