Quinn Hughes makes his thoughts extremely clear about J.T. Miller’s departure 

Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes made his thoughts clear regarding the mega-trade that sent J.T. Miller to the New York Rangers on Friday night.

Hughes spoke with Sportsnet’s Dan Murphy following the Canucks' 5-3 loss to the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Arena.

“Yeah, I mean, obviously a lot of noise last couple weeks and months," Hughes said. "But, you know, see him go, he's a heck of a hockey player, and enjoyed playing them for the six years that I had.”

Quinn Hughes’ comments underscored the good relationship he had with Miller.

“And you know, I obviously wish him the best, and personally, I'm gonna see him in six, seven days. So, but right now, it doesn't even really seem real, but next couple weeks, I'm sure it will sink in a little bit," he added.

Murphy then asked Quinn Hughes if the trade situation was difficult for him to navigate as team captain.

“Yeah, of course, I think not only myself, but you know, everyone in the organization, I think it's just been a lot of noise, and you know you know from Mizzy to it's been a lot of him," Hughes said. “And I think he's looking forward to, you know, a fresh start. But we're obviously you know gonna miss him here.”

With the dust still settling on the deal, the coming days should give all sides a clearer picture of what the reverberations of the megadeal will be.

Quinn Hughes could be playing through some sort of lower-body injury

An article by The Province's Patrick Johnson following the Canucks’ loss on Friday night highlighted one key issue regarding Quinn Hughes. He pointed out that Hughes seemed uncomfortable during the third period, suggesting he might have been dealing with a leg issue.

"He was really uncomfortable as he tried his best to lead his team back into the fight," Johnson wrote. "The shots of him grimacing on the bench won’t inspire confidence in anyone. The last thing the Canucks need is their best player to miss any more time.

"If it’s his hamstring or groin, that takes a while to heal — though presumably he’ll take the Four Nations Faceoff off now so at least he’ll have a couple of weeks free to recover," he added.

Hughes was one of the original selections for Team USA in June of last year. However, if Hughes is truly dealing with a serious issue, he may pass on the Four Nations tournament and focus on recovering during the two-week layoff.

Canucks fans may need to keep an eye on Hughes as their team’s captain could be trying to play through something that may require closer attention. Time will tell if the Canucks look to shut down Hughes.

Hughes and Co. will be in action again when they host the Detroit Red Wings at Rogers Arena on Sunday.