Vancouver Canucks Gameday Preview #32: The Post-Quinn Hughes Era Begins Against The Devils
The Vancouver Canucks (11-17-3) kick off a five-game road trip with a matchup against the New Jersey Devils (18-13-1). Both New Jersey and Vancouver have struggled recently, with the two teams combining for three wins so far in December. While Sunday was originally marketed as another edition of the “Hughes Bowl”, it will now be known as the first game in the post-Quinn Hughes era as the Canucks traded away their captain on Friday afternoon.
With Hughes officially dealt, all eyes will be on the three players Vancouver received in return from the Minnesota Wild. Marco Rossi, Zeev Buium and Liam Öhgren are all projected to play, with official confirmation being available closer to puck drop. Ultimately, it will be interesting to see how the Canucks’ game plan changes without Hughes and what ice times look like among the defenders.
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Vancouver is also projected to be without Elias Pettersson for this game. The 27-year-old has missed the last three games with an upper-body injury, but is on the trip with the team. This season, Pettersson has 22 points in 28 games and is averaging 20:37 of a night.
Players To Watch:
Zeev Buium:
The centrepiece of the Hughes trade was arguably Buium, who is currently in his rookie campaign. The 20-year-old defenceman has 14 points in 31 games while averaging 18:28 a night. Buium was seen practicing with the first power play unit, indicating that the Canucks are ready to give him opportunities to succeed right out of the gate.
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Juho Lammikko:
After starting the season with zero points in 15 games, Juho Lammikko delivered in a big way on Saturday with a two-point night. The 29-year-old has been playing a bottom-six role this year, but did play over 13 minutes for the first time this season on Saturday. Lammikko should be motivated to score against his former team as he plays Vancouver for the first time since he left the Canucks organization after the 2021-22 campaign.
Mar 24, 2025; Newark, New Jersey, USA; Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko (35) makes a save against New Jersey Devils right wing Timo Meier (28) during overtime shootouts at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images
Vancouver Canucks (11–17–3):
Points:
Elias Pettersson: 8–14-22
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Kiefer Sherwood: 13–4–17
Brock Boeser: 9–7–16
Conor Garland: 6-10-16
Filip Hronek: 2–14–16
Goaltenders:
Thatcher Demko: 5–5–0
Kevin Lankinen: 4–10–3
Nikita Tolopilo: 2–1–0
Jiří Patera: 0–1–0
New Jersey Devils (18-13-1)
Points:
Jesper Bratt: 6-22-28
Nico Hischier: 10-16-26
Timo Meier: 11-12-23
Dawson Mercer: 10-11-21
Jack Hughes: 10-10-20
Goaltenders:
Jake Allen: 9-7-0
Jacob Markstrom: 8-6-1
Nico Daws: 1-0-0
Game Information:
Start time: 9:30 am PT
Venue: Prudential Center
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Television: Sportsnet
Radio: Sportsnet 650
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