Canucks: Injured Quinn Hughes won't play against Avalanche Tuesday
Hughes was hurt at the end of Friday's game vs. Dallas and then missed Sunday's game vs. Detroit.

Quinn Hughes’s status remains in major doubt, both for the Vancouver Canucks and for Team USA at the upcoming 4-Nations Face-Off.
The Canucks captain was out early Tuesday for his team’s morning skate, but after a few minutes of skating and shooting on his own, he left the ice with great reluctance.
Hughes lingered by the bench for a short time, in discussion with the team’s medical staff. During that discussion, they appeared to be gesturing towards Hughes’ midsection, which makes you wonder if he is dealing with an abdominal injury.
Hughes sat on the bench for a moment or two as well, talking with head coach Rick Tocchet.
He then left the bench while the rest of his team hit the ice to prepare for Tuesday night’s game against the Colorado Avalanche.
After the morning skate, Tocchet confirmed that Hughes won’t face the Avalanche. It’s clear that Hughes is going to be out until at least the weekend.
“He wants to gut everything out, but it’s the right move,” Tocchet said of scratching Hughes.
Asked if there is long-term concern about Hughes’ injury, Tocchet demurred.
“You take it day by day with him or with anybody. So we’ll see,” the coach said. “I’ve seen guys (where) things linger. I’ve seen some guys after 24 hours, (treatment) helps. So we’ll see how it goes.”
Asked if there has been any improvement in Hughes since he first was injured Friday, Tocchet said “slight.”
Tocchet was hesitant to suggest how long Hughes will be out, but when asked about how rest might help in recovery, the coach’s response suggested Hughes will likely be out at least for Thursday’s game in San Jose. The Canucks have a home game Saturday against Toronto before beginning their mid-season break for the 4-Nations Face-Off. Hughes has been selected to play in that tournament for the U.S.
“I think anytime you have a guy like a Quinn … they play so much, anytime they can get rest, I think they have to take it,” Tocchet said.
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“He plays a lot of stress minutes. It’s not just the minutes — it’s the stress. He’s always out there in stress situations. Use that as a positive, that he is getting rest. That’s the way you have to look at it.”
Obviously, losing Hughes is a big blow to the Canucks’ lineup.
“How do you replace him? I think if everybody sticks to their game, you know, there’s some guys who are going to supply a little bit more offence. That will help,” Tocchet said. “But I think for the most part, you can’t replace a guy like him.”
The challenge in front of Tyler Myers and his teammates is obvious to all. There’s no replacing Hughes in the long run. In the short term, you can focus on your precision.
“Just focusing on doing your job and not trying to do more or force anything more is all you have to do,” Myers said. “And guys have done a really good job all year stepping up, and we’re gonna have to do more of the the same thing this week.”
SOUCY SITS AGAIN — Trade winds have begun to blow around veteran defenceman Carson Soucy, who was a healthy scratch on Sunday and was set to be one Tuesday as well. Soucy was fantastic in his first season in Vancouver last year, but the current campaign has been a struggle. Sources confirmed to Postmedia that Soucy is now on the trade block.
“Sometimes you need to, whether it’s a reset or … a kick in the ass, but a little bit to jumpstart yourself, we felt he needed that,” Tocchet said.
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