Canucks' $58,000,000 star reflects on relationship with Quinn Hughes after signing massive eight-year contract

Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes has earned the praise and admiration of his teammates. But the highest praise comes from Hughes’ defense partner, Filip Hronek. Hronek recently signed a massive contract extension, becoming one of the highest-paid blue-liners in the league.

However, the new contract hasn’t kept Hronek from acknowledging the value of his relationship with Quinn Hughes. Hronek had this to say about Hughes, as reported by NHL.com:

“It’s pretty easy to play with him. We have good chemistry on and off the ice, so it helps, and I’m really excited to keep it going. Everything was natural, and we see a lot of things the same way and are able to talk about a lot of stuff, even off the ice and on the ice as well. It’s pretty easy, actually. It’s a really good relationship.”

With both Hronek and Hughes locked up for the next few seasons, the Canucks can expect to see plenty of this pair on the ice. The pairing ranked fourth in goal control, racking up a 61%. Also, the pair netted a 56.44% Corsi rating. Plus, Hronek and Hughes were on the ice for a total of 72 goals.

Overall, Hughes and Hronek have given the Vancouver Canucks the top pairing the club has always needed. Now, it’s a question of taking the next step as the club looks to build on this season’s successes.

Quinn Hughes looking to get tougher for next season

Hughes is looking to be ready for training camp in the fall. As such, he understands that being prepared involves plenty of offseason work. He knows that taking the next step requires improving his overall physical and mental conditioning.

The Province captured Hughes’ comments:

"I’m just going to focus on continuing to get better as a layer and person and become a better leader. It would have been nice to pinch in more offensively, and especially on the power play with how we struggled in the end."

Hughes knows he needs to be better physically to improve his game, especially in the playoffs. Hughes added:

"I played pretty solid defensively and didn’t give up much. As far as physical abuse, it’s just something that everyone is going to have to deal with."

Hughes concluded:

"I just have to be mentally tough and learn about myself in situations and grow from them."

Hughes and the Canucks hope to grow as next season begins. The growth from this recent could serve as a stepping stone for bigger and better outcomes.