The Vancouver Canucks are prudently trying to protect their most valuable player with Quinn Hughes only seeing a “slight” improvement in his undisclosed condition.

The Vancouver Canucks will be without their captain on Tuesday when they take on the Colorado Avalanche. After the morning skate, Head Coach Rick Tocchet confirmed that Quinn Hughes would be out of the lineup for the second straight game.

Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes will miss his second straight contest Tuesday versus the Colorado Avalanche due to a lower-body ailment. Hughes did not dress versus the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday and also missed a four-game stretch earlier this season after suffering an undisclosed injury.

Hughes has been the Canucks’ MVP this season — how have the rest of the NHL’s Norris-contending defencemen performed so far?

Hughes, dealing with an undisclosed injury, was seen skating before the Canucks' practice on Tuesday morning but left the ice before his teammates joined. He was sidelined for Sunday's 3-2 overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings.

The Vancouver Canucks made star defenseman Quinn Hughes a late scratch for Sunday's game against the visiting Detroit Red Wings.

On Saturday night in Vancouver, the Canucks were somewhat soundly outplayed in the opening 20 minutes but managed to come out of the first period thanks to some misses at the goal mouth from Tom Wilson, Matt Roy and Lars Eller and thanks to one of the most absurd individual offensive efforts you’ll see all season from a blueliner.

The Norris Trophy race has been a three-horse race for several months now, but right now, it appears that Vancouver Canucks defenceman Quinn Hughes is the frontrunner, according to ESPN.

This just in, Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet has ruled captain Quinn Hughes out of tonight’s game against the Colorado Avalanche. This is the second consecutive game that Hughes has been out of the lineup due to an undisclosed injury.