The Vancouver Canucks, according to NHL 26’s rating system, have the best defenseman in the NHL. NHL 26, which releases in September, uses the NHL Edge system to rank players.NHL Edge is an analytics model utilized by the National Hockey League to monitor player development.
With a 95 overall rating, Quinn Hughes is the best left defenseman in NHL 26.
Per NHL.com, Edge “contains season-long top-10 leaderboards for skaters, goalies and Clubs in various metrics. These include Skating Speed, Skating Distance, Shot Speed, Shot Location (for skaters and goalies) and Puck Zone Time (allowing fans to see where the puck is located when Players are on the ice).”
Hughes Earned Top Defenseman Honors, Per Coaches
Former Canucks assistant coach Sergei Gonchar had quite a bit to say about Hughes’ game. “Offense is his biggest strength. His skill level is incredible – he creates so many chances, controls the game, drives play. His talent is phenomenal,” Gonchar said.
“Defensively, of course, there was room for growth, but over the last two and a half years he’s improved a lot. He’s playing better now, though there’s still space to grow. That’s what we focused on – raising his defensive game while keeping his offensive strengths. We worked individually, focusing on details.”
Hughes capped off a 68-game campaign last season with 16 goals and 60 assists for 76 points. He won the Norris Trophy in 2023-24 as the NHL’s best defenseman. He was third in Norris Trophy voting this year with 918 points despite missing 14 out of 82 regular season games.
Hughes was the second-best defenseman in NHL 25 with a 94 overall rating, second to only Cale Makar. This time around, he’s tied with the two-time Norris Trophy winner.
Hughes, Canucks Connected with Devils
Quinn’s rank in NHL 26 isn’t the only buzz he’s been receiving these days. Recently, NHL insiders have linked Hughes to his brothers Jack and Luke of the New Jersey Devils. James Mirtle of The Athletic believes Quinn will inevitably find his way to New Jersey.
“If you’re Hughes, indisputably now one of the best players in the league and with two years left on your deal, it feels natural to wonder about your future if this Canucks team isn’t going to break through and win,” Mirtle writes. “Maybe Vancouver surprises and has a huge bounce-back season that convinces their captain to stay. Feels unlikely to me, to be honest, but that’s their best-case scenario.”
“Otherwise, they have to start contemplating what a blockbuster trade might look like and whether it’s all about futures.”
Hughes has two years left on his deal before he becomes an unrestricted free agent. Mirtle believes that the Canucks should contemplate a “blockbuster” trade sooner rather than later.
“The ceiling feels too low to compete with the real contenders in the West,” writes Mirtle, and hence, his suggestion that the Canucks better start to at least think about a ‘blockbuster’ Quinn Hughes trade, sooner than later.
“For the Devils,” says Mirtle, “if Hughes wants to go there to join his brothers, how do you not make that commitment next summer?”
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