Canucks' Hughes-Hronek pairing can become best in NHL — if it remains intact

[The Arrogant Worms]

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/canucks-hughes-hronek-pairing-can-become-best-in-nhl-if-it-remains-intact/

 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The biggest mistake Filip Hronek made last season was scoring twice and getting himself named first star in the Detroit Red Wings’ 6-1 road win in November against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

 

His punishment was a walkoff interview for television, which was followed that week by an actual press conference.

 

[RWJC]

Canucks’ Hughes-Hronek pairing can become best in NHL — if it remains intact

 

Iain MacIntyre

October 23, 2023, 5:29 PM

 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The biggest mistake Filip Hronek made last season was scoring twice and getting himself named first star in the Detroit Red Wings’ 6-1 road win in November against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

His punishment was a walkoff interview for television, which was followed that week by an actual press conference.

 

The 25-year-old defenceman from Czechia is so wary of talking to reporters that when he was traded to the Vancouver Canucks on March 1, Hronek was accompanied upon arrival by a legend that he had gone 1,000-plus days in Detroit without doing a formal interview.

 

If true, that ironman streak would be every bit as impressive in the National Hockey League as Phil Kessel going 1,064 consecutive games without getting hurt — or frustrating his coach enough to be healthy-scratched.

Hronek’s aversion to publicity became a running joke among Detroit reporters but the 1,000 days of silence feels like fiction, although the player did tell Sportsnet during the current Canucks road trip: “I was going for 2,000, but got traded.”

 

So Hronek has a sense of humour.

 

He will, however, be unable to evade the media in Vancouver, which focuses on the Canucks the way Oppenheimer did the atom.

Hronek is a story again because he has been playing since the regular season began with Quinn Hughes in a power-pairing that has the potential to become one of the NHL’s best – if it remains intact.

 

While Hronek’s reluctance to be interviewed was expected, the H2 defence duo is a surprise. Hronek and Hughes barely played together during the pre-season, when the Canucks made it clear they’d rather balance the blue line by having their top two defencemen deployed separately.

 

Head coach Rick Tocchet introduced the idea of a “committee” of interchangeable defencemen, which caused a lot of media speculation about who would partner Hughes.

 

“The media talk was around Quinn,” assistant coach Adam Foote, who runs the defence, told Sportsnet on Saturday before the Canucks beat the Florida Panthers 5-3. “(The talk) wasn’t from me, but I understand it’s a legitimate question, for sure.

 

“If a guy goes down — knock on wood — you’ll see more of a committee. But even though you’re right and they’re sticking together more, I like what I see so far with them. I think they’re using each other pretty good. They’ve had some really good matchups where they can defend, too, by having the puck in the offensive zone.”

 

Heading into the Canucks’ sixth game of the season Tuesday against the Nashville Predators, Hughes has been sublime and the pairing with Hronek dominant at times despite facing the opposition’s best forwards.

 

According to naturalstattrick.com, in the 15:18 of five-on-five ice time that Hughes and Hronek were together on Saturday, shot attempts were 21-10 for the Canucks and high-danger scoring chances 7-3. In the other 34:21 of five-on-five, the Panthers clobbered the Canucks 50-18 and 9-0 in those metrics.

 

Through five games, Hughes has logged 78 of his 96 minutes of even-strength ice time with Hronek and the Canucks have outscored other teams 7-1. Hronek, who has eight more minutes than Hughes at evens, has a 7-2 personal goals-differential. Each is averaging 25 minutes a night.

 

link to rest of article:

 

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/canucks-hughes-hronek-pairing-can-become-best-in-nhl-if-it-remains-intact/sn-amp/

[HuggyCareBear]

it's honestly refreshing to see a defenceman on our team, not named Hughes, that you feel a sense of legit offensive instinct and two-way stability with. 

 

Hronek was a solid pickup and i'm glad we have him on our team. 

[Sophomore Jinx]

Acquiring Hronek was grand larceny, for a bonafide top D we really gave up very little...it was a coup de grace, having finally found a complementary player for Huggy....teams will be going to the drawing board about this pairing, in their pre-game scouting....(I'm sure they already do)

 

Seriously, a top 2 RHD, 25 years old, logging 25 minutes a game...I still can't believe some ppl hated this trade, and not just bcoz of the picks, but bcoz they didn't even think very highly of Hronek. Wtf?!?  

[JIAHN]

I am not saying yes, I am not saying no, I am saying, it has only been 5 games, and it is a small sample size.

[vcBrett]

5 minutes ago, Sophomore Jinx said:

Acquiring Hronek was grand larceny, for a bonafide top D we really gave up very little...it was a coup de grace, having finally found a complementary player for Huggy....teams will be going to the drawing board about this pairing, in their pre-game scouting....(I'm sure they already do)

 

Seriously, a top 2 RHD, 25 years old, logging 25 minutes a game...I still can't believe some ppl hated this trade, and not just bcoz of the picks, but bcoz they didn't even think very highly of Hronek. Wtf?!?  

I think a lot of fans are still recovering from Benning trades. JB didnt make terrible trades, the Kesler trade was pretty good, though Kesler was good at the time and wanted out. Miller was a good trade too. When it came to acquiring players he wanted, fans felt that  he very much overpaid for what we ultimately got. It felt like JB would give a team whatever they wanted so long as he got the player he wanted. A lot of fans have probably become overly pessimistic when the Canucks make a trade to acquire a player, to the point where they just automatically assume we overpaid.   I remember fans freaking out after we gave up a 1st for a 3rd line center, that guy turned out to be JT Miller. I bet Tampa wouldve asked for more if they knew how many points JT would score for us.

 

We have a notion of how good a first round pick should be, and just assume any player we give up for a 1st isnt going to live up to the potential of a 1st round pick. 

I dont think Alvin has been around long enough or made enough moves to counter that paranoia among Canucks fans. 

Hronek is looking like a good trade so far, and Alvins offseason acquisitions also look good.

 

It seems Alvin has a good eye for talent and chemistry, making good moves and bringing in players that have yet to dissapoint. Hronek, Cole, Soucy, LAfferty, Kuzmenko, Mikhyev, DeSmith and we have yet to see Bleuger play.

 

SO far Alvin has given me some hope that he can alleviate some of the negativity and pessimism fans seem to have towards Canuck management and the moves they make.

Time will tell if that hope is warranted or not, but so far it seems were trending in the right direction. Go Canucks Go!!!

[fanfor42]

11 minutes ago, JIAHN said:

I am not saying yes, I am not saying no, I am saying, it has only been 5 games, and it is a small sample size.

I'm saying I like the pairing. I'm saying they will get better as they play more together.

 

I'm saying I like the idea of having a top pairing D rather than spreading it out.

 

These two guys playing together can create an image for the nux that has been missing for quite a few years.

 

100% the way to go.

 

 

 

 

[spook007]

Like what we are hearing/seeing, but as @JIAHN says, its a small sample size... think we've been there before, lets see after 20-30 games...

[fanfor42]

When? When have we seen this before?

 

When have we seen a potential Norris candidate paired with a guy we traded for, who was the other team's best defenseman?

 

We have not seen this before.

 

And this is gonna be sweet.  Listen to the comments they say about each other.  Watch them on the ice.

 

We are witnessing something special blossoming here partner.

 

 

 

 

[Rip The Mesh]

How could anyone not like this paring?  Sure; the season is very young but it's long enough now, to see that something is working, matter of fact; 

Maybe it's because the season is young, Folks are so impressed. Normally, from what I've seen, It can take half a season or longer to get a true read 

on a new defensive pairing. 

Hard to imagine how much more space Quinn is getting to work with! Mmm? Hronek gonna get some points and some stars at the end of games.

I'm sure Hughes will still get his share as well..

[higgyfan]

Hopefully the Canuck media circus doesn't drive him away when it's time for a new contract.

He's obviously a very reserved and introverted guy who really hates being in the spotlight.

They need to back off for awhile and let him get used to playing in a frenzied Canadian market.

[HKSR]

51 minutes ago, fanfor42 said:

When? When have we seen this before?

 

When have we seen a potential Norris candidate paired with a guy we traded for, who was the other team's best defenseman?

 

We have not seen this before.

 

And this is gonna be sweet.  Listen to the comments they say about each other.  Watch them on the ice.

 

We are witnessing something special blossoming here partner.

 

 

 

 

Not to mention having a starting goalie that could very well challenge for a vezina.

[Tusk]

so... you put your best two defense on the same line, and two days later every other team knows when to put their top lines on the ice.

ARE WE REALLY THIS BAD?

[Tusk]

1 hour ago, fanfor42 said:

I'm saying I like the pairing. I'm saying they will get better as they play more together.

 

I'm saying I like the idea of having a top pairing D rather than spreading it out.

 

These two guys playing together can create an image for the nux that has been missing for quite a few years.

 

100% the way to go.

 

 

 

 

The problem is they can only play 1/3 of the minutes. What do you think the other teams will do when they are out? yeah, thats right, mcdavid, matthews, crosby and ovetchkin are back on the bench, let those two get worn out.

[Tusk]

I love seeing them play together, but honestly two defensive lines playing at 70 percent of what they do together is better for the canucks.

 

[Tusk]

Just now, Tusk said:

I love seeing them play together, but honestly two defensive lines playing at 70 percent of what they do together is better for the canucks.

 

And Iain MacIntyre is an idiot to not see that. I wish fans would stop listening to him, he is one of the most negative media people bugging the canucks. That kate petterson is actually smart and asks the right questions.

[RWJC]

6 minutes ago, Tusk said:

I love seeing them play together, but honestly two defensive lines playing at 70 percent of what they do together is better for the canucks.

 

I think it’s a great idea. Ride it while it works. Hronek being the threat he is gives QH even more ability to manoeuvre and the two of them combined give both ends of the transition game some real bite.

It does dilute our D combos a bit, but so be it. If we have finally found our partner for QH then stick with it and begin planning for how we improve on the bottom 4. Those players are much cheaper and easier to acquire than a #1/2 Dman is. 
 

What matters most on D is finding pairs that have chemistry,  intuition, and compliment each other ideally. It’s best we work with what is most effective, not just what appears to make most sense. Otherwise you might see F lines more evenly distributed across the 4 rather than the typical top 6. 

 

Edited October 24, 2023 by RWJC

[Tusk]

3 minutes ago, RWJC said:

I think it’s a great idea. Ride it while it works. Hronek being the threat he is gives QH even more ability to manoeuvre and the two of them combined give both ends of the transition game some real bite.

It does dilute our D combos a bit, but so be it. If we have finally found our partner for QH then stick with it and begin planning for how we improve on the bottom 4. Those players are much cheaper and easier to acquire than a #1/2 Dman is. 

I like that they know how to play together but the other teams will be onto this immediately.

 this should be a pairing when the canucks are down 3-1 going into the 3rd.

What Iain MacIntyre failed to point out is that Cole and Myers have been holding down the house, facing the first lines of the other teams on the road.

We cant keep doing that. Everyone blames Myers. Another thing Iain MacIntyre is failing to notice is that Miller and Boeser are facing the other teams top lines, but outscoring them.

Iain MacIntyre keeps saying the Petterson line is the top line. um... why? Cause they have Heronik and Hughes as defense? while Miller and Brock get Myers and Cole? but yet score??/

The media sucks. Or just Iain MacIntyre

[RWJC]

19 minutes ago, Tusk said:

I like that they know how to play together but the other teams will be onto this immediately.

 this should be a pairing when the canucks are down 3-1 going into the 3rd.

What Iain MacIntyre failed to point out is that Cole and Myers have been holding down the house, facing the first lines of the other teams on the road.

We cant keep doing that. Everyone blames Myers. Another thing Iain MacIntyre is failing to notice is that Miller and Boeser are facing the other teams top lines, but outscoring them.

Iain MacIntyre keeps saying the Petterson line is the top line. um... why? Cause they have Heronik and Hughes as defense? while Miller and Brock get Myers and Cole? but yet score??/

The media sucks. Or just Iain MacIntyre

Fair enough, but why are you upset about it? EP is arguably our best forward so his line will generally be considered the top one. May not be but that’s quite often the case. 
 

And I don’t agree that teams will immediately be able to counter QH and Horny together. That’s not giving our players enough credit in terms of being amongst the top tier of their respective position. 
 

There are quite a few dominant Dman pairs who have had continued success together despite other NHL teams having a “book” on them as a pairing.

Eg.
Toews and Makar

Pietrangelo and Martinez

Larsson and Dunn

Fox and Lindgren 

McAvoy and Grzelyck

Andersson and Hanifin 

Pelech and Pulock

etc etc 

[Tusk]

1 minute ago, RWJC said:

Fair enough, but why are you upset about it? EP is arguably our best forward so his line will generally be considered the top one. May not be but that’s quite often the case. 
 

And I don’t agree that teams will immediately be able to counter QH and Horny together. That’s not giving our players enough credit in terms of being amongst the top tier of their respective position. 
 

There are quite a few dominant Dman pairs who have had continued success together despite other NHL teams having a “book” on them as a pairing.

Eg.
Toews and Makar

Pietrangelo and Martinez

Larsson and Dunn

Fox and Lindgren 

McAvoy and Grzelyck

Andersson and Hanifin 

Pelech and Pulock

etc etc 

Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith

[Tusk]

I guess I just dont want the Canuck to be a San Jose with a great defense and no CUP for so many years.

[Petey40]

24 minutes ago, Tusk said:

I like that they know how to play together but the other teams will be onto this immediately.

 this should be a pairing when the canucks are down 3-1 going into the 3rd.

What Iain MacIntyre failed to point out is that Cole and Myers have been holding down the house, facing the first lines of the other teams on the road.

We cant keep doing that. Everyone blames Myers. Another thing Iain MacIntyre is failing to notice is that Miller and Boeser are facing the other teams top lines, but outscoring them.

Iain MacIntyre keeps saying the Petterson line is the top line. um... why? Cause they have Heronik and Hughes as defense? while Miller and Brock get Myers and Cole? but yet score??/

The media sucks. Or just Iain MacIntyre

I am pretty sure they have been playing the Miller line with the Hughes pairing so far this season as the shut-down unit. That is also a big part as to why the Miller line has been so dominant. 

 

Although I do agree that they should separate Hughes and Hronek to maximize Hronek's potential. I feel like he would help stabilize the 2nd pairing. I think the top 4 below has potential to be highly impactful both offensively and defensively and would allow Myers to continue playing his sheltered minutes on the bottom pairing.

 

Hughes - Soucy

Hronek - Cole

[Alflives]

Just now, Petey40 said:

I am pretty sure they have been playing the Miller line with the Hughes pairing so far this season as the shut-down unit. That is also a big part as to why the Miller line has been so dominant. 

 

Although I do agree that they should separate Hughes and Hronek to maximize Hronek's potential. I feel like he would help stabilize the 2nd pairing. I think the top 4 below has potential to be highly impactful both offensively and defensively and would allow Myers to continue playing his sheltered minutes on the bottom pairing.

 

Hughes - Soucy

Hronek - Cole

Hughes has proven, with Schenn and Juulsson, he can carry AHL level players and make them look good. Soucy is better than those other two, but really he’s a bottom pairing guy. We need a top four right side D to fill in for this season. Willander will be here in that role next year. 

[wai_lai416]

15 minutes ago, RWJC said:

Fair enough, but why are you upset about it? EP is arguably our best forward so his line will generally be considered the top one. May not be but that’s quite often the case. 
 

And I don’t agree that teams will immediately be able to counter QH and Horny together. That’s not giving our players enough credit in terms of being amongst the top tier of their respective position. 
 

There are quite a few dominant Dman pairs who have had continued success together despite other NHL teams having a “book” on them as a pairing.

Eg.
Toews and Makar

Pietrangelo and Martinez

Larsson and Dunn

Fox and Lindgren 

McAvoy and Grzelyck

Andersson and Hanifin 

Pelech and Pulock

etc etc 

lol.. that's a horrible nick name for hronek.. i don't think it's appropriate nor would he appreicate people calling him horny.. 

 

tbh.. QH/Hronek pairing havent given up a goal 5v5 doesn't really mean they have been awesome or one of the best in the league 5v5.. the 2 of them are top 10 in the league in high danger chance against.. so credits should be given to the goalies for stopping those chances..

 

as a pair QH and Hronek have given up the 2nd most high danger chance in the league 5v5 at 19.. by comparison the pair that given up the most high danger chance is theodore/mcnabb at 20.. they taken 43 defensive zone draws vs 16 by qh/hronek

Edited October 24, 2023 by wai_lai416

[RWJC]

4 minutes ago, Tusk said:

I guess I just dont want the Canuck to be a San Jose with a great defense and no CUP for so many years.

I agree, but I think it’s most important to define who your top pairing D is and run with it. We all would like to see the pairs balanced but I think it’s time we give QH a partner of relatively equal capacity and help him thrive that much more. Recently, he’s made the most out of very little (no offense to Schenn) in terms of complimentary players…at some point you have to give them something stable that also enhances their play, not causes them to have to somewhat carry their partner and only add to their responsibilities.

If we don’t, it would be like giving EP Pius Suter as a winger. Adequate sure, but EP would have to be constantly adjusting to the speed, offensive mindset and capability, and potentially some issues in terms of on ice

positioning with respect to O/D game. Instead, he has a Kuzy who similarly thinks offense and can create space and position. That’s what QH deserves and will truly allow him to become a bonafide Norris candidate…a partner who enhances his game. Hronek,

so far, appears to be just that guy.