The Vancouver Canucks have struggled when Quinn Hughes hasn’t been on the ice this season. Now they face a whole game without him?
Seattle Kraken vs. Vancouver Canucks
When: Saturday, 1 p.m., Rogers Arena
TV: Sportsnet. Radio: Sportsnet 650
The history: Seattle won two of the teams’ three meetings last season, and the Canucks had their stars available for those games.
The hope: The first game after Christmas is often a crapshoot, but at least both teams will get a practice in before Saturday’s game. The Canucks don’t have to travel, so they will be hoping that’s an added advantage in a matchup of two teams that have been off the ice for three days. And without their best defenceman and their most dynamic forward, they need to grind, grind, grind.
The fear: The Canucks have struggled to generate offence without Hughes on the ice, and now they will play a whole game without him? Yikes.
The latest: Erik Brännström is viewed by the coaching staff as a depth defenceman, but his puck skills are suddenly essential. He was lined up on the first power play unit in practice on Friday.
The lineup:
DeBrusk-Miller-Boeser
Höglander-Suter-Garland
Heinen-Blueger-Sherwood
Joshua-Sasson-PDG
Hughes-Myers
Soucy-Juulsen
Forbort-Desharnais
Demko
The prediction: Slump-busting Seattle will grab a surprising 3-2 win over the undergunned Canucks.