Canucks coach Rick Tocchet told reporters that the captain would have skated on Monday if the team had practised.

Hughes has been listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury by the Canucks.

The defenceman has dealt with a series of injuries this season, including one that forced him to pull out of playing for the U.S. at the 4 Nations Face-Off.

He missed six games with the ailment — reported to be an oblique injury — and returned on Feb. 26, but was hurt again in Vancouver’s 6-3 loss to the Seattle Kraken on March 1. He has now missed the team’s past three games.

Hughes is the reigning Norris Trophy winner as the league’s top defenceman and leads the Canucks in scoring with 14 goals and 46 assists in 50 games this season. 

The Canucks are back in action Tuesday against the visiting Montreal Canadiens.