Nick Kypreos Pushes Back on ‘Panic’ Over Quinn Hughes’ Canucks Future

“Well, we got to make it really clear though: Quinn Hughes and Connor are not in the same position,” Kypreos said. “Quinn Hughes is not eligible to sign anything right now. Connor is. There’s a huge difference here, one year to two years. Really, Quinn is within his rights to say, 'Hey, don't worry about my future, I got two [years]; I'm under contract for two more years.'

“I don’t get the panic feel, I don't get it. To me Quinn’s a ways away here. It’s just too early for me and Vancouver to feel like, 'Oh no.'”

Kypreos noted that Hughes is within his rights to sidestep questions about the future, something he already did in an interview with Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas.

“I mean, I’ve really enjoyed Vancouver. I’m very thankful,” Hughes said. “I will answer [questions about his future] with my actions next summer.”

Kypreos added that the next two years will help determine whether Vancouver can present Hughes with the kind of winning environment he would want to commit to long term.

The contrast with McDavid’s situation continues to fuel speculation and to draw comparisons, but as Kypreos pointed out, the cases are rather different.

While both players are expected to command market-resetting contracts, McDavid and the Oilers are under much more pressure to find common ground than Vancouver and Hughes.

The former should already know everything he needs in order to make an informed decision on his future, while Hughes still has two full seasons to learn about what the Canucks do on and off the ice in order to build a team around him that can sustain contender status.