The Vancouver Canucks are preparing to make some big trades, and according to Jim Rutherford, they'll play a big role in Quinn Hughes' future with the team.

It's hard to make a more perfect pass than the one Quinn Hughes conjured up to assist Conor Garland's game-opening goal.

Dishes pair of assists

Nations, facing off. That is what will happen when the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off kicks off in mid-February, replacing the NHL All-Star Game. The tournament

Hughes is making a strong case to win his second straight award given to the best defenseman in the NHL. He leads the Canucks into Enterprise Center to face the St. Louis Blues on Monday (7:30 p.m. ET; FDSNMW, Prime) off a two-goal performance in a 2-1 win against the Washington Capitals at Rogers Arena on Saturday.

It has been a roller-coaster of a season for the Vancouver Canucks, with one drama following another and trade rumours everywhere. But they're still just one point out of a playoff spot and very much in the mix,

The Canucks picked up the game’s first power play after some decent pressure on Nashville, as Steven Stamkos was called for holding. Perhaps lost in the shuffle is how good the Canucks’ power play was in their 5-2 win over the St.

In a large scrum during the second period of Thursday night's game, Oilers forward Corey Perry grabbed Hughes and threw him down to the ice. There was little reaction or pushback from the Canucks as their captain was being roughed up.

The Canucks hadn't won back-to-back games since Dec. 1, but looked more like their old selves against the Blues.

Canucks star defenseman Quinn Hughes dropped a rather bold claim about his level of play before facing the Blues.

Quinn Hughes is not one to settle. Last season, the Vancouver Canucks' captain won the Norris Trophy as the NHL's top defenceman. Then he spent his off season further perfecting his game.