Elliotte Friedman makes his feelings known about Quinn Hughes getting 'roughed up' far more by opponents

The 2024-25 campaign has been a rollercoaster ride for Quinn Hughes and the Vancouver Canucks. After winning the Pacific division with 109 points last season, the Canucks sit on the outside of the playoff picture through 47 games this year.

The rift between J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson has been a major distraction for the team, and until a trade happens, the drama is expected to continue. Combine that with injuries and plenty of poor performances and Vancouver finds themselves battling just to make the playoffs.

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.

Sportsnet NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman spoke about all the Hughes has been going through this season in Friday's edition of "32 Thoughts: The Podcast."

"I was just shocked at that one goal and Vancouver never came back," Friedman said. "I was shocked at that. Maybe it was my '70s or '80s sensibilities coming in but I don't like it. I'm not even bothered at other teams because that's what they're supposed to do."

"But I don't know, it doesn't sit right with me, Kyle. To see, like, he's their best player, he's trying to carry them through a really difficult time. And I just think it's, he's getting roughed up a lot more than any opponent is by Vancouver," Friedman added (28:30 onwards).

Quinn Hughes has also been battling through a hand injury for parts of the year.

Vancouver wasting another amazing season from Quinn Hughes with Capitals challenge coming up next

Quinn Hughes has been the only piece holding the Vancouver Canucks together. The superstar defenseman is having the best season of his NHL career, though it's being wasted with the struggles and drama around the team.

Hughes has 52 points (12 goals, 40 assists) from 43 games. This puts him on a full-season pace of 99 points, which would be higher than his previous best of 92 last season. He's also on track to score 23 goals, which would surpass his 17-goal career high from 2023-24.

He is the second-highest-scoring defenseman, trailing only Cale Makar (53 points) and Zach Werenski. Hughes will likely be a contender for his second consecutive Norris Trophy.

Things don't get any easier for the Canucks as they'll host the first-place Washington Capitals on Saturday night. The puck drops at 10 p.m. EST at Rogers Arena.