Time: 10:00 PM EDT Venue: Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6B 6G1 / The wait appears to be over for Quinn Hughes. The highly touted 19-year-old defenseman is expected to make his NHL debut Thursday as his Vancouver Canucks host the Los Angeles Kings in a game featuring two teams already preparing for next season. Hughes' initial appearance in a Vancouver uniform has been anxiously awaited by the team, media types and fans alike since the Canucks drafted him seventh overall last summer. Known for his speed, passing ability and point production, Hughes is viewed as a future star who could ignite Vancouver's often dormant offense -- especially on the power play. But the Orlando, Fla., native wants to keep things simple during his early days in the NHL." I think for me, I've just kind of got to get my feet wet here and figure it out for myself, what I can do, what I can't do and try to play my game," Hughes told reporters on Wednesday." I don't need to be a hero or anything like that. There are a lot of good players here so I'm just going to try to get them the puck." Hughes signed with the Canucks earlier this month after completing his collegiate eligibility with Michigan. But his NHL debut was delayed because of a foot injury suffered in his penultimate game with the Wolverines, a couple of days before he turned pro. But Canucks management and fans had hoped he would arrive even sooner. Hughes decided to forego signing with Vancouver last summer and complete his second season at Michigan. On Thursday, or soon after, he will demonstrate whether the extra year of college hockey helped his development." I think it was really good for me, not just on the ice but off the ice as well, maturity, getting stronger and heavier as well," he told reporters earlier this month. "I think my game has gotten better, too." "I feel pretty comfortable right now," he continued. "I like where my game's at, I'm pretty confident. I've given myself an extra six months to get better and stronger and more confident and everything like that." Hughes recorded five goals and 28 assists in 32 games for the Wolverines this season. He could help a goal-starved defense increase its modest production. The Canucks did score four goals -- more than they have on many nights -- during a loss to Anaheim on Tuesday. But the production was moot considering that Vancouver squandered a 2-1 first-period lead, gave up four straight goals and trailed 5-2 until the final 6 1/2 minutes. The Canucks want to deliver a much better effort against the Kings." We're trying to build something here for the future," defenseman Alex Edler told reporters. "We've all got to be hungry and play hard." Meanwhile, the Kings are also looking to improve their consistency. They bowed 8-4 to playoff also-ran Edmonton on Tuesday, a night after shutting out Stanley Cup contender Calgary. Despite the different win-loss margins, the Kings have won three of their past four games. They will play their third straight without disgruntled former superstar Ilya Kovalchuk, who stayed home to work on his game while the team is on a three-game road trip. Kovalchuk, 35, has struggled after returning to the NHL this season from Russia's Kontinental Hockey League. He complained to reporters from The Athletic and Los Angeles Times recently about interim coach Willie Desjardins. The forward, who is a dismal minus-26 on the season, is unhappy about his lack of playing time." We came up with this (arrangement) -- it was him and I talking together," general manager Rob Blake told The Athletic, referring to himself and Kovalchuk. "That's how we came up with this. He wants to get better." Like I said: 'You get 20 minutes out here (after the morning skate). Stay at home and do your work.' That's what he wanted. He came up with the idea. It's not (punishment), 100 (percent). Not at all. We came up with this together." Desjardins, a former Canucks coach whose future with the Kings is uncertain, has opted to scratch Kovalchuk lately while going with an extra defenseman." We've been playing seven (defensemen) quite a bit and for him to come on the road, he's not going to get a lot of ice time," Desjardins told The Athletic of Kovalchuk. "We don't have a lot of practice time. We just felt it was better. ... It doesn't mean we're always going to play seven (defensemen)." But we have had some success with seven D." --Field Level Media
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