Quinn Hughes Sidelined Friday with Undisclosed Injury; Career Offensive Prowess Highlighted

Quinn Hughes (undisclosed) will not play Friday against the Hurricanes, as reported by Brendan Batchelor of Sportsnet 650. His absence is noted as a potential break for opposing goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov. Hughes, 24, is a top offensive defenseman, having set career highs in 2023-24 with 17 goals and 92 points across 82 games, marking his third straight campaign exceeding 65 points and fifth consecutive with over 40 points. Over the last three years (2021-22 to 2023-24), he accumulated 32 goals and 236 points in 236 contests, ranking third among defensemen behind Roman Josi and Cale Makar. He excels as a power-play quarterback, with 34 of his 76 points coming with the man advantage last season, and maintained a plus-15 rating. While not strong in non-offensive categories (38 PIM, 29 hits, 55 blocks in 2023-24), he is expected to compete for the defenseman scoring title in 2024-25, flirting with a point-per-game pace.