Confirmed with Link: Canucks sign C Max Sasson to 2-Year ELC

[VanJack]

No not yet.

They haven’t even trusted him with a call up yet. They like to let their young guys marinate slowly in the AHL.

I think a successful season for him is he’s called up when needed and looks solid enough that they feel comfortable enough allowing him to compete for a bottom 6 full time gig in 2025.

Blueger is a really important player in Tocchet’s system. It’s already been rumored management views him as a priority UFA re-sign this summer.

Blueger is on what, a 39-game goalless drought?......and he's spent a bulk of the season playing with Garland and Joshua. How is that even possible?

I don't care how many faceoffs he wins or what he does on the PK.......if an offensive black hole like Blueger is "really important to Tocchet's system' then the Canucks are in more trouble than I thought entering the playoffs.

The bottom line is that the Canucks need more offense from their bottom of the roster centers--a lot more. And if guys like Sasson and Raty can provide it, then they should be playing next season.

 

[MS]

Blueger is on what, a 39-game goalless drought?......and he's spent a bulk of the season playing with Garland and Joshua. How is that even possible?

I don't care how many faceoffs he wins or what he does on the PK.......if an offensive black hole like Blueger is "really important to Tocchet's system' then the Canucks are in more trouble than I thought entering the playoffs.

The bottom line is that the Canucks need more offense from their bottom of the roster centers--a lot more. And if guys like Sasson and Raty can provide it, then they should be playing next season.

Guys like Blueger and Suter would destroy the AHL offensively. Nils Aman was a point-per-game player in Abbotsford to start the season and easily better than Sasson or Raty.

You’re hugely underestimating the jump from the AHL to NHL and what it does to production.

 

[VanJack]

Guys like Blueger and Suter would destroy the AHL offensively. Nils Aman was a point-per-game player in Abbotsford to start the season and easily better than Sasson or Raty.

You’re hugely underestimating the jump from the AHL to NHL and what it does to production.

It's not me saying that four or five kids from the Abbotsford Canucks will crack the NHL lineup next season, it's the President Jim Rutherford. That was his prediction in a recent interview with Iain McIntryre.

So, while it's true that it's a huge jump from the AHL to the NHL, the President doesn't seem too worried about it.

 

[MS]

It's not me saying that four or five kids from the Abbotsford Canucks will crack the NHL lineup next season, it's the President Jim Rutherford. That was his prediction in a recent interview with Iain McIntryre.

So, while it's true that it's a huge jump from the AHL to the NHL, the President doesn't seem too worried about it.

He said 4 or 5 players could challenge for jobs, not that 4 or 5 would make the team.

 

[Lindgren]

He said 4 or 5 players could challenge for jobs, not that 4 or 5 would make the team.

If, out of that handful, one ended up being an OK third-line winger, and the other a satisfactory fourth-liner, that'd be a very good result for the upcoming season. (I don't think anyone sees any defensemen on the current AHL roster challenging to start on the bottom pairing in the NHL (again, for the upcoming season).

 

[credulous]

personally i can't wait for all the fantasy lineups with 5+ of sasson, bains, ep2, willander, lekkerimaki, raty, mueller and woo in them

 

[LemonSauceD]

personally i can't wait for all the fantasy lineups with 5+ of sasson, bains, ep2, willander, lekkerimaki, raty, mueller and woo in them

Your wish is my command


Raty-Pettersson-Lekkerimaki
Mueller-Miller-Boeser
Joshua-Sasson-Karlsson
Podkolzin-Suter-Bains

Hughes-Woo
EP2-Willander
Soucy-McWard

2025 cup champs baby!!!!!!!!!!

Real talk, only players I see having an actual shot next season would be Sasson, Karlsson and Woo. Rest need much more seasoning.

They’ll all be 24 by next training camp. Pretty much now or never for them.

 

[credulous]

Your wish is my command


Raty-Pettersson-Lekkerimaki
Mueller-Miller-Boeser
Joshua-Sasson-Karlsson
Podkolzin-Suter-Bains

Hughes-Woo
EP2-Willander
Soucy-McWard

2025 cup champs baby!!!!!!!!!!

Real talk, only players I see having an actual shot next season would be Sasson, Karlsson and Woo. Rest need much more seasoning.

They’ll all be 24 by next training camp. Pretty much now or never for them.

i can't believe you'd disrespect sasson in his own thread like this. he'll be centering mueller and boeser on the 2nd line. miller is past his prime

 

[RobertKron]

It's not me saying that four or five kids from the Abbotsford Canucks will crack the NHL lineup next season, it's the President Jim Rutherford. That was his prediction in a recent interview with Iain McIntryre.

So, while it's true that it's a huge jump from the AHL to the NHL, the President doesn't seem too worried about it.

Honestly, I think that's only the players that Rutherford has already decided will be in the lineup. It's likely realistic to assume that at least 8 or 9 players will make it once everything shakes out at camp. They might hire one or two as coaches, as well. There's probably also an outside chance that we see one added to the legal team.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Sasson has proven me wrong the last couple years. Really wasn't anything notable in junior until his overage season, turned into a good older NCAA producer and then produced well in the A off the bat, gets called up and plays in the NHL in his 2nd year pro.

Pat Ferschweiler turning nobodies into dudes at Western Michigan, really notable trend going on in the NCAA.

 

[Mudshark50]

2 Points, plus 2 - solid game by Max

 

[Regress2TheMeme]

Can Sasson PK?

 

[sting101]

Guy has Teddy Blueger 2.0 written all over him.

 

[beachcomber]

Kid can skate and has good hockey sense. Awesome FA signing at this point.

 

[VanJack]

Sasson has proven me wrong the last couple years. Really wasn't anything notable in junior until his overage season, turned into a good older NCAA producer and then produced well in the A off the bat, gets called up and plays in the NHL in his 2nd year pro.

Pat Ferschweiler turning nobodies into dudes at Western Michigan, really notable trend going on in the NCAA.

It's understandable that an older prospect signing as a UFA out of the NCAA, would have very low expectations as a pro.

But the fact Sasson has even gotten into games at the NHL level, and looks like he could carve out a career as a bottom-of-the roster forward, has to be considered a huge 'win'.

And the Canucks may have unearthed another one in Ty Mueller. I remember Canuck draft-watchers being less than enthralled with the team expending a fourth round pick (105th overall) in 2023 on an over-age NCAA forward. His stats at the U of Omaha-Nebraska were pretty 'middling'.But fast-forward a year, and at 21 he's now a mainstay in Abbotsford.

You have to give the Canuck NCAA scouts some props for finding these guys.

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

He's getting his chances to score, too. I think he's had a Grade A scoring opportunity in each of his last three games.

Great to see an undrafted kid enjoy such success. He's definitely played well enough to stay in the rotation for the time being. Good for him.

 

[iceburg]

Sasson has speed to burn. He has some skill but nothing that screams top 6 forward at the NHL level. His speed alone should get him a long look. The question becomes can he think the game at that speed? If he can, and he shows he is good on the PK, he could have a long NHL career.
To me he's a younger, slightly faster version of PDG.
Good pick up at the cost of a contract slot.

 

[RobertKron]

Sasson has speed to burn. He has some skill but nothing that screams top 6 forward at the NHL level. His speed alone should get him a long look. The question becomes can he think the game at that speed? If he can, and he shows he is good on the PK, he could have a long NHL career.
To me he's a younger, slightly faster version of PDG.
Good pick up at the cost of a contract slot.

Like the player so far, but I do feel like he's currently in that rookie mode where he's showing particularly well based on going all out at all times, which is obviously most likely unsustainable. Not a mark against him so far by any means, but we'll get a better read on this player once he starts to hit a wall and has to bring his intensity down to normal levels and slow his game down a bit. Long-term bottom-six NHLers are guys who are able to remain mostly effective in even the grindiest doldrums of the season.

 

[iceburg]

Like the player so far, but I do feel like he's currently in that rookie mode where he's showing particularly well based on going all out at all times, which is obviously most likely unsustainable. Not a mark against him so far by any means, but we'll get a better read on this player once he starts to hit a wall and has to bring his intensity down to normal levels and slow his game down a bit. Long-term bottom-six NHLers are guys who are able to remain mostly effective in even the grindiest doldrums of the season.

Fair enough. Friedman seems to be the type of player you're describing, albeit on D. He's able to come in and give really intense minutes for stretches but hasn't sustained it for long enough to be a regular. Maybe that's what Sasson will become. As you say, time will tell.

 

[RobertKron]

Fair enough. Friedman seems to be the type of player you're describing, albeit on D. He's able to come in and give really intense minutes for stretches but hasn't sustained it for long enough to be a regular. Maybe that's what Sasson will become. As you say, time will tell.

To clarify a bit, I think Sasson seems to have tools to be able to adjust his game to be sustainable long-term (or maybe he's an absolute horse and can do this 82gm/yr for a decade), I just think he'll eventually hit the wall most rookies hit about 20 games or so in, and that will be when we get a real read on him.

 

[Leif Rohlin]

Like the player so far, but I do feel like he's currently in that rookie mode where he's showing particularly well based on going all out at all times, which is obviously most likely unsustainable. Not a mark against him so far by any means, but we'll get a better read on this player once he starts to hit a wall and has to bring his intensity down to normal levels and slow his game down a bit. Long-term bottom-six NHLers are guys who are able to remain mostly effective in even the grindiest doldrums of the season.

This is a good point.

He looks like he has the skating, poise and IQ to stick in the NHL but time will tell.

 

[1440]

Sasson has been pretty good, but before the hype train gets out of control, he is a prime example of high PDO over small sample size making him look better than he is. At evens:
Sasson: 23% on ice shooting percentage, 97% on ice save percentage. 1.20 PDO (first on the team)
Raty: 8% on ice shooting percentage, 89% on ice save percentage. 0.98 PDO
Aman: 13% on ice shooting percentage, 81% on ice save percentage. 0.94 PDO
Lekkerimaki: 4% on ice shooting percentage, 86% on ice save percentage. 0.90 PDO (last on the team)

His xGA numbers are much better than Lekkerimaki and Aman's, but not as good as Raty's. I don't think he has been as good as Raty overall, and Lekkerimaki has been terribly unlucky in general and deserves another look.

 

[David Bruce Banner]

To clarify a bit, I think Sasson seems to have tools to be able to adjust his game to be sustainable long-term (or maybe he's an absolute horse and can do this 82gm/yr for a decade), I just think he'll eventually hit the wall most rookies hit about 20 games or so in, and that will be when we get a real read on him.

It's more pronounced with players that have never been through the grind of a full pro season. Collage guys always seem to hit a wall if they make a direct jump.
Sasson played 72 games last year, including 16 with the Canucks. I think he has an idea of how to he can pace himself.

 

[RobertKron]

It's more pronounced with players that have never been through the grind of a full pro season. Collage guys always seem to hit a wall if they make a direct jump.
Sasson played 72 games last year, including 16 with the Canucks. I think he has an idea of how to he can pace himself.

I think it's more an issue of guys coming up and being some combination of really excited to be in the show, and really nervous to make a good impression, so they end up playing absolute balls to the wall for a stretch. There are plenty of examples of guys with pro seasons under their belts who come up and then have to adjust their game to be more sustainable after the initial surge.

 

[LemonSauceD]

Reminds me of Chandler Stephenson in his Washington days. Stephenson was an integral part of that Washington cup team killing defenders with his speed and as the season went on became a key PK contributor. Wasn’t much of a scorer then. Was a natural center playing wing as well and wasn’t surprised Vegas literally traded for him a couple seasons later.

Sasson’s speed killed Mikkola and Kulikov and made them look like Desharnais out there last night. He also seems to naturally hold onto the puck more unlike Aman/Bains and looks to want to make plays when he’s able to. I’m also impressed with his net front drive, doesn’t appear to be afraid at all crashing the crease considering how a bit frail he looks rn.

He’s definitely here to stay. Can’t ask for a better first 9-10 games for a 24 year old undrafted rookie. He’s played his cards right perfectly pretty much every year since he turned 21, just progressively getting better.