MAJOR | Dhaliwal reveals really important information as to who may be the Canucks' next captain

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Felip Gosselin
April 1, 2023 (8:54 PM)

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This topic will heat up a lot of conversation over the summer. A void has been created in the captainship slot ever since Bo Horvat has been dealt to the New York Islanders. Nobody has harbored the C on his jersey since.

The way Elias Pettersson has been conducting himself the past year has certainly made him an early contender in this race. Some have even suggested J.T. Miller, as he's a player that gives it all and plays with his heart on his sleeve. One name that's been raising eyebrows in these discussions as of late is Quinn Hughes. The 23-year-old defenseman really upped his game, but he's also been extremely vocal and accountable.

Rick Dhaliwal made an extremely intriguing statement to plead the young man's case today:

''When you look at the traits of successful human beings, he's got them all. Hughes isn't going to go home this summer and look at all the applause he got stand read all of his press clippings. He's gonna go home and decide what he needs to get better at and he's gonna work hard all summer.''

Dhaliwal not only noted all of Hughes' offensive accomplishments since his presence has been growing each and every year since he turned pro. He especially noted the fact that in one season he went from -24 to +16 and that he continually asked Green and Boudreau to get him on the Penalty Kill and to grow more defensively responsible.

He did not hold back on his words and added that people in Vancouver aren't giving him enough credit he continued and said that Hughes was a special Franchise Defenseman and that the Canucks never had anything similar before. That's when Dhaliwal got into the crunchy stuff:

''I had someone put this bug in my ear a few weeks ago. It was a pretty significant person who told me, don't be surprised if he's got those qualities to be the next captain of the Vancouver Canucks''

At this point, we know that the team's management has identified Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes as the team's cornerstones, but still is a very bold statement to make. In the end, it'll be extremely intriguing who gets the last word and winds up with 'C' on his jersey.