Has Quinn Hughes emerged as a top 5 D in the league?

[newfcollins]

Okay, sell low then.

[jhonny]

Don't sell... You don't even know for sure what you have. I agree we should see what the infamous sophomore season brings... Then let's see the breakout assuming he isn't a 1 hit wonder. I also love that he was the less desirable Quinn, lol!

[Belexus75]

if you talking Fantasy D you can make argument he is close to top 5..even in multicat leagues as getting top scoring D is hard . if you talking NHL..i dont think he is top 25 yet...may never be..he is offensive specialist but can not be trusted in defensive role just yet, maybe never

[Toepick]

Quinn Hughes had an amazing first season - fact
Quinn Hughes has the potential to be a top offensive D in the NHL for years to come - fact
Quinn Hughes would never be one of the first five D drafted by a NHL team if they started from scratch today to win next year. Those would be the likes of (Hedman, Josi, Jones, Reilly, AP, Karlsson, Carlson, etc.).

Why? He's currently one dimensional. Notice I didn't include any of his age-group peers (Makar, Provorov, Dahlin, Chabot, Heiskanen, etc.) who would all likely be picked ahead of him in a full league redraft. Primary reason is to get the label of top 5 D in the NHL, you need to do it for several years. You need to provide intangibles. You need to be trusted in all situations. You need to be a leader. That stuff takes more than a year to achieve.

Again, this is not a diss against Quinn Hughes. He's a 20 yrs old doing amazing things. He's good now and should only get better. I'm just not ready to anointed him as D royalty. If Team USA were to pick their roster today, I'm not sure Hughes would make the cut.

[zambronies]

In my league Q. Hughes was the 21st best D this season. Do I think he has the potential to be top 5 in most leagues? Absolutely. But if/when that happens may take a while.

[CMSpiced]

I was actually going to list Edler as an honorable mention. I don't think Hughes is the best overall D on Vancouver right now.

Nucks fan here.

I find this discussion very interesting on the opinion on Q. Hughes, which really bring's out peoples perspective of defense.

Quinn Hughes is by far the best D man on the canucks. He might not be the best at defending in his own zone, but he is by no means a defensive liability, he defends smartly. What he excels at is transitioning the puck out of his own zone into the offensive zone. This results in him having a large amount of puck possession, which results in the team being in the offensive zone while he is on the ice.

The Canucks mainly create offense off the rush, and a major reason for that would be a result of Quinn (and other notable forwards). You can replace any of the Canucks D very easily other than Hughes.

Is he top 5 in the league? Probably not right now, but you can make a very strong argument he is a top 10 D.

I have no doubt he will win a Norris in his career.

[Canucks_fan18]

Nucks fan here.

I find this discussion very interesting on the opinion on Q. Hughes, which really bring's out peoples perspective of defense.

Quinn Hughes is by far the best D man on the canucks. He might not be the best at defending in his own zone, but he is by no means a defensive liability, he defends smartly. What he excels at is transitioning the puck out of his own zone into the offensive zone. This results in him having a large amount of puck possession, which results in the team being in the offensive zone while he is on the ice.

The Canucks mainly create offense off the rush, and a major reason for that would be a result of Quinn (and other notable forwards). You can replace any of the Canucks D very easily other than Hughes.

Is he top 5 in the league? Probably not right now, but you can make a very strong argument he is a top 10 D.

I have no doubt he will win a Norris in his career.

This! As a Canucks fan here as well people seem very concerned with defense in our own zone. Can he improve? Sure, hes still only 20 but already he's not a liability and what he excels at is handling the puck and breaking out. I too can see a Norris in his future and not saying that as a Canucks fan.

[ericdaoust]

This! As a Canucks fan here as well people seem very concerned with defense in our own zone. Can he improve? Sure, hes still only 20 but already he's not a liability and what he excels at is handling the puck and breaking out. I too can see a Norris in his future and not saying that as a Canucks fan.

This goes against the title of the thread

[CMSpiced]

This goes against the title of the thread

The point I was making is that he is very good at getting the puck out of his zone, which means what he lacks in defending in his own zone (which is not a significant liability) is made up for by his transitioning skills. The thread is top 5 D man, not top 5 defenders in their own zone.

The overall weight of these aspects is of course up for debate.

[ericdaoust]

The point I was making is that he is very good at getting the puck out of his zone, which means what he lacks in defending in his own zone (which is not a significant liability) is made up for by his transitioning skills. The thread is top 5 D man, not top 5 defenders in their own zone.

The overall weight of these aspects is of course up for debate.

There really isn't much debate here.

Right now: Not top 5 in the league.
Future: Maybe/Probably top 5 in the league.

For defensemen, defending in their own zone is kind of important. Shocker, I know.

[Axeman33]

Well we all know the Norris is given out to the best offensive Dman, not the best overall defense man so sure, I can see him contending for it down the road. That doesn't make him a great defense man, it just mean he scores a lot from that position.

As we've all seen from Toronto, it's great to have those guys as they help you score but you need actual defense men to help you win.

[als_revenge]

I remember having this same debate about Erik Karlsson many years ago. As someone who watched him play a lot, I though he was terrible defensively for many of his early years.

[Canucks_fan18]

I remember having this same debate about Erik Karlsson many years ago. As someone who watched him play a lot, I though he was terrible defensively for many of his early years.

How did that turn out?

[Axeman33]

How did that turn out?

He still hasn't won a Cup but he's won individual awards.

[CMSpiced]

He still hasn't won a Cup but he's won individual awards.

I mean, he did carry the Senators on his back to the eastern conference finals.