Canucks' Hughes: 'I'm playing the best I've played in my career'

Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes won the Norris Trophy and set a career high with 92 points last season, but he believes he's playing better lately than ever before.

"I think I'm playing the best I've played in my career," Hughes told NHL.com's Derek Van Diest. "In saying that, it's a really hard league. It's a humbling league, so for me, I'm just really trying to refocus every single day; try to keep my body healthy, be at my best, be a good leader and see where that goes."

Hughes leads all defensemen with 1.23 points per game this season and ranks fourth by playing 25:23 per contest. His latest performance Saturday included two goals in a 2-1 win over the league-leading Washington Capitals.

"If you talk about his consistency, he does it every night," coach Rick Tocchet said. "Very rarely does he have an off night. And when he gets that puck he's going north, he's either skating it or he's making a play north. There's no indecision in his game. He takes it upon himself, and he almost wants to carry the team on his back. We have to be careful of that because he can't do it alone. He has that mentality."

Hughes is the primary reason the Canucks have remained in the playoff hunt - they're three points back of the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference - despite dealing with key injuries and dressing room drama throughout the season.

The 25-year-old has 21 more points than his next closest teammate this season and is a lock to be in the Norris conversation - and perhaps MVP - if he keeps up his current paces.