Canucks need to rip the Quinn Hughes Band-Aid off

What's behind Vancouver's slow start? 

They're 7-8-0 through 15 games, 22nd in goals for, 25th in goals against, 32nd by Hockey-Reference's season strength of schedule calculator with the fourth-most-difficult remaining strength of schedule per the website Tankathon, have not won a game in regulation since Oct. 19 and have a once-superstar centerman in Elias Pettersson whose game is inexplicably off.

Per Natural Stat Trick, Vancouver is 28th in shot-attempt percentage, 29th in shots-on-goal percentage, 27th in expected goals percentage and 23rd in high danger chance percentage. All those numbers are at five-on-five. On special teams, the Canucks are 19th in power-play percentage (19.2 percent) and 31st in penalty-killing percentage (68 percent). 

If not for the red-hot start to the season by 30-year-old journeyman Kiefer Sherwood, whose nine goals in 15 games would put him on pace to break his career high of 19 goals (set last season) with 50 games left to play, Vancouver's record might be even worse.

Other than that, how's it going, Mr. Rutherford? 

Well, the good news is goaltender Thatcher Demko has been pretty good, sporting a .911 save percentage. Meanwhile, Hughes hasn't looked like himself. The Canucks have been outscored with Hughes on the ice at five-on-five, an oddity since Vancouver is plus-74 with Hughes on the ice at five-on-five in the past four seasons. They're minus-three (11-8) in 11 games with Hughes on-ice.

It's entirely possible that Hughes, who missed four games with an injury, is playing hurt. Vancouver, however, has really not played particularly well in any facet of the game under new head coach Adam Foote. Things, potentially, could get worse. What happens then?

It's time to trade Quinn Hughes

Rutherford has already implied that the 2027 trade deadline is the team's working deadline for a decision. He also implied that Quinn Hughes may want to join his brothers in New Jersey. 

Every day the Canucks wait to deal him, they lose value. Trading him now widens the field. Teams competing for a Stanley Cup will be more willing to spend the exorbitant cost to acquire Hughes knowing they can take at least two shots at the Stanley Cup with Hughes. It's the only way Vancouver will recoup any actual premium prospects to shorten the length of any potential on-ice losing that might accompany the trade. The Canucks certainly aren't playing well with him. 

Go ahead. Rip off that Band-Aid, Vancouver.