Quinn Hughes, Elias Pettersson doubtful to play for Canucks on Saturday

Not the best news coming out of the holidays for the Vancouver Canucks.

When speaking to the media on Friday, head coach Rick Tocchet revealed that forward Elias Pettersson and captain Quinn Hughes are doubtful to play in the team’s first game coming out of the holiday break, a clash on Saturday against the Seattle Kraken.

Tocchet stated that both players are going to be re-evaluated by the team’s medical staff on Friday before making a final decision.

Pettersson was injured during the Canucks’ last game prior to the break. In a 4-3 win over the San Jose Sharks, he was reportedly banged up in the second period before leaving the game entirely after just one shift in the third. Tocchet stated, “I don’t think it’s too bad.”

There have been no reports of what exactly Hughes hurt that could cause him to miss a game. The 25-year-old was a game-time decision for the game against the Sharks with an undisclosed injury. He ended up registering 24:45 of ice time in the victory, recording two assists to boot.

Both players have been fairly healthy over the past couple of seasons. Each has appeared in all 34 of Vancouver’s games this season, with both playing the full 82-game schedule during the 2023-24 campaign, including each of the team’s 13 games in its run to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Pettersson played 80 games in both the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, while Hughes missed four games two years ago, playing 76 games the season before that.

So far, Hughes leads the Canucks with 42 points, scoring eight goals and 34 assists. He ranks second in the NHL in scoring among defensemen, only trailing Colorado Avalanche star Cale Makar. Pettersson is second on the Vancouver roster behind Hughes with 10 goals and 18 assists for 28 points.

The Canucks (17-10-7) hold the first Wild Card spot in the Western Conference and are fourth in the Pacific Division, eight points behind the first-place Vegas Golden Knights.