Canucks draft a Left Winger Quinn Hughes

Well you can say one thing about Jim Benning - he's got this winger drafting thing down straight. Winger Boeser, Virtanen, Pettersson and now ... ya, you can add Hughes.

The Vancouver Canucks management crew added another winger in the NHL 2018 entry draft.

He's listed as a 5'9" 165 pound left handed defenseman. But ... that's not reality. Both the size and the position. He's 5'7"... He can't play D at the NHL level at that size. It's not happening. Please.

There's zero chance he's big enough to play in the NHL at the Defense position - especially in Vancouver with its travel schedule and in the Western Conference.

He's 19 in October.
He's pretty much finished growing.
And he's too small to play in the NHL. And he has a muffin of a shot. NO shot. Can't shoot the puck. Got him for the Power Play !! But he has no shot. So that's a bit of an issue...

I know, Tory Krug or some shit.

You're going to whine and complain and bring up Krug and ignore the 99% of the rest of the NHL.

Krug is 5'8" and 190 pounds and who gives a shit? What exactly has Torey or Tory Krug done in the NHL that I should give a shit about? Or anyone should give a shit? And he has a bit of shot.

At least Krug can shoot the puck.
Hughes absolutely has no shot. None. Won't break a pane of glass.

A great kid by all reports. But D man? pffft

Washington Capitals won the Stanley Cup.
They pounded their opponents to pieces.

NHL is moving back to size and grit and speed. Third. Speed third.

Size and strength.

Look at Hughes... look at the little girl. Ya.

It's hockey. And it's about winning Stanley Cups - and you ain't going near it with the very talented but very small Hughes. Or Pettersson. Or Juolevi.

Virtanen. That's the only player they have from the Top 10 to show for their years of misery.

Boeser and Virtanen from the first round.
Both are big boys.

But that wasn't evidence enough for Vancouver management.
And so they'll be fired at the end of this season.

Problem number 2 with Hughes - will they be able to sign him? He can walk as a Free Agent after 3 more years at Michigan State. His brother will be playing at least one year maybe two years there... why not play the third? He's saying the right things... but until the signature is on the paper there's always the chance he walks.

Let's play scenario shall we? Quin's brother is projected Number 1 overall next year. He's selected by Detroit after playing 1 year with Michigan State and his brother Quin. Then Quin's brother is put back at Michigan by Detroit because that's Detroit's way. So Quin decides to play another year with his brother at Michigan. Now he's 1 year away from Free Agency. His brother is called up by Detroit for the next year. Quin decides he likes playing with his brother - plays one more year with Michigan - signs with Detroit. Why not?

So that brings up the question - how do you fix this dumpster fire? Assuming the Canucks get him to sign.

Well, you could move Hughes to left wing.

They do need left wingers. And he looks like a fast, small, but quick playmaking left winger.

But there's ZERO chance he plays at D. I'm sorry.

I know that pisses you off.

But think about it - everyone in the NHL can skate.
And Hughes is going to get plastered.
And at 160 pounds... broken collarbone is the best result he can expect.

Even if he makes the team - how long will he play?

The Canucks have averaged 400 man games lost due to injury for the past 3 years. 4/5 years.
You have to dress players - period. It doesn't matter how good they are - they have to ice a lineup - that's priority number one. ICE A LINEUP.

So then what?

Well... you can bring Hughes up to forward to avoid catastrophic shoulder surgery. Send him to AHL, let him marinate there - see if he gets the program.

It's easier to move to forward from Defense as well. I think it's a move they can make.

But with Motte and Liepsic on the roster... boy oh boy.

How small are they going to get?

I would guess they'll shitcan Motte and Liepsic - no loss there.

In a couple of years when Hughes is ready he could be a nifty little 3rd line left winger.

Maybe then they could parlay him into a draft pick.

Look, I'll be honest.

The Canucks are in serious trouble here. Like I've been following this team professionally and as a fan for over 40 years. I've never seen it this bad.

This is a tire fire beyond belief.

And I'm not sure how they resurrect it. The next GM has one hell of a job. And Benning only has himself to blame here. They dressed Markstrom - they had Nillsson - they lost Dahlin - they got a midget blueliner.

They won't have anyone on their team from 2016, 2017, 2018 drafts on this team. Period.

Not even the vaunted Pettersson will make the team (folks, he's too small). You're kidding yourselves.

Basically, I'll put it this way - they need new ownership maybe. At least start with a GM who knows what he's doing.

But they're at year 60 now before they have a legitimate chance at a Stanley Cup.

Three blown drafts. wow.