The Vancouver Canucks will be without their captain Quinn Hughes as they face off against the Edmonton Oilers, featuring stars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Canucks Head Coach Adam Foote confirmed that Hughes will miss the matchup due to a lower-body injury, as reported by Brendan Batchelor of Sportsnet 650. In his absence, Victor Mancini will take his place in the lineup, while Kirill Kudryavtsev has been called up and will participate in warmups as the seventh defenseman.
Hughes had been playing a significant role for the Canucks as they wrapped up a rigorous five-game road trip across various cities, averaging over 27 minutes of ice time per game. In their previous game against the Montreal Canadiens, Hughes contributed two assists and logged 26:25 minutes on the ice, although the team fell short with a 4-3 loss. This season, Hughes has had a slower start than usual, tallying one goal and seven points across nine games, with an average ice time of 26:38 minutes.
Victor Mancini, who was not part of the team’s opening night roster, has seen action in four games this season after his quick call-up. However, he has yet to register a point, posting two shots on goal and a minus-two rating in about 11 minutes of ice time per game. Despite not being on the roster initially, Mancini had taken time to play in the AHL with Abbotsford, where he was involved in the Calder Cup Championship banner-raising night and played a top-pairing role during their playoff run.
As the Canucks navigate through injury challenges, they continue to make roster adjustments to keep their competitive edge. Fans and analysts alike will be eager to learn more about the details of Hughes’ injury and the potential duration of his absence from the lineup.