Canucks preparing for enormous change on the blueline this season
The Vancouver Canucks are heading into a very important season after coming to terms on a long-term deal with leading scorer J.T. Miller earlier this week. The Canucks want to show this season that they are not just another middling team, but a true contender.
The team addressed several needs this summer, bringing in KHL standout Andrei Kuzmenko and former Leafs winger Ilya Mikheyev to bolster their middle six, but arguably the biggest change won't come in the form of an addition - but rather a shift in position.
According to Donnie and Dhali's Rick Dhaliwal, Quinn Hughes has approached the Canucks about moving over to the right side this season. We all know that right-shot defensemen are tough to come by. As Leafs fans, we also know that having a left-shot defender who is able to play the right side can be a huge benefit. Were it not for T.J. Brodie coming in and stabilizing the right side for the Leafs as a left shot, the team looks very different on paper right now and not nearly as good on the right side.
Wanting to play on the opposite side of the ice and being effective there are two entirely different things, so I assume that the Canucks will take the idea under advisement and give it a try in training camp and during the preseason, but if Hughes does not look comfortable on the right side, I'd imagine they won't try to force a square peg into a round hole and will likely shift him back to where he's most effective.
Hughes appeared in 76 games for the Canucks last season, scoring 8 goals and notching a career high 60 assists for a career best 68 points. He's an excellent skater with great vision and an underrated shot. I'd be willing to bet that he'll be able to make the transition over to the right side without skipping a beat.
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 10 | 122 ANSWERS Canucks preparing for enormous change on the blueline this season Will Quinn Hughes last an entire season on the right side for the Canucks? | ||
| No, he'll be back to the left side quickly | 21 | 17.2 % |
| Yes, he's skilled enough to make it work | 53 | 43.4 % |
| Don't care | 48 | 39.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
