Elliotte Friedman sparks Quinn Hughes injury scare, labels it "biggest concern" for Canucks despite 6-3 loss to Kraken

The Vancouver Canucks lost 6-3 to the Seattle Kraken on Saturday, but Quinn Hughes’ injury was a bigger concern. The star defenseman did not play the final 9:05 of the game, raising questions about his health.

NHL insider Elliotte Friedman raised the alarm through his tweet on X, in which he wrote:

"Bigger concern than the loss for Canucks: Quinn Hughes did not play the last 9:05"

Friedman also discussed Hughes's injury concerns on Sportsnet's Hockey Night in Canada with analyst Kevin Bieksa and other panelists. He mentioned that Hughes might have aggravated an oblique injury.

“He came in with what's believed to be an oblique injury. And probably aggravated something there. Like they have played 11-7 the last couple of games since he came back... I just wondered if he aggravated the previous problem." Friedman said.

Quinn Hughes was seen stretching and moving carefully during stoppages in play. He also left the ice briefly after Seattle’s Oliver Bjorkstrand scored in the second period but returned soon after.

The Canucks had been using seven defensemen in recent games to manage Hughes’ workload. On Saturday, they returned to a six-defenseman lineup, which may have put more strain on him.

Hughes had already missed six games since January 31 with an undisclosed injury. He also pulled out of Team USA's roster in the 4 Nations Face-Off because of his injury. His status is now uncertain again, and there's a wait for the Canucks' update on his situation.

Hughes is an important player for Vancouver. In 49 games this season, he has 14 goals and 46 assists. The Canucks, currently holding a wild-card spot with a 27-22-11 record, need their captain healthy for a playoff push.

Vancouver’s next game is on Wednesday at home against the Anaheim Ducks. Fans and the team will be watching closely to see if Hughes can play.

Captain Quinn Hughes failed to help Canucks win over Seattle Kraken

The Vancouver Canucks lost 6-3 to the Seattle Kraken on Saturday. Quinn Hughes recorded just one shot on goal in 21:56 minutes of ice time. This was his second consecutive game with a -3 rating.

Seattle scored first at 5:47 when Andre Burakovsky finished a 2-on-1 with a one-timer. Pius Suter tied it at 11:35 after a turnover by Vince Dunn. Filip Chytil gave Vancouver a 2-1 lead, but Seattle tied it 2-2 at 4:11 of the second. Dakota Joshua made it 3-2 for Vancouver, but Matty Beniers tied it at 12:08, redirecting a slap shot.

Seattle scored three unanswered goals, twice from Eeli Tolvanen and Brandon Montour, to win the game 6-3.