Centre of attention: Lack of centre depth gives Sasson belief he can make Canucks’ NHL roster

While there weren’t many surprises with the way the Vancouver Canucks rolled out their training camp lines in Penticton last week, it was certainly worth noting that the organization had Max Sasson at centre. Now, this wasn’t headline-making material. After all, Sasson is a natural centre and lined up down the middle throughout Abbotsford’s run to the Calder Cup last spring.

However, in his brief time in the National Hockey League, the 25-year-old has found himself on the wing as much as he has in the centre of the ice. And some believe that if Sasson is going to land full-time employment in the NHL, it may have to be on the wing.

However, with a lack of organizational depth down the middle, the Canucks are clearly putting Sasson back in his preferred position to start this season and giving him an opportunity to utilize his speed to transport the puck.

“I feel comfortable at both positions – wherever they tell me to play, I’ll obviously do it,” he said after practice on Tuesday at UBC. “I love skating up the puck in the middle and kicking it out and centre lane drive and all that. And if I’m on the wall, I’m comfortable there. The way we’ve kind of been running things, the first forward back is low, and if that happens to be me, I feel comfortable there, and I also feel comfortable on the wall.

“I take pride in the fact I can play all three positions and do my job whatever role they tell me.”

At camp last week, the Birmingham, MI native found himself on a line between Drew O’Connor and Danila Klimovich. But on Wednesday, he’ll make his preseason debut against Calgary in Abbotsford on a line with familiar faces from the farm in Arshdeep Bains and Linus Karlsson on his wings.

All three are vying for spots on the big league roster and will want to show well for the new coaching staff in exhibition action.

“I think that’s what the coaches are telling us, just be comfortable out there,” Sasson said. “We’ve probably played 70 or 80 games together the last two years, so it’s great to be out there and be comfortable with my linemates.”

Sasson made his NHL debut last November in Ottawa and picked up assists in each of his first two big league games. In all, he dressed for 29 NHL games, scoring three times, adding four assists and averaging 10:20 of ice time.

It’s clear Sasson has NHL-calibre wheels, and he quickly showed an ability to process the game at the highest level. He’s leaning on all the positives gained as an NHL rookie last season, and he returns to Vancouver looking to stay with the big club.

“It showed me what made me successful at this level and maybe what I need to improve to stick here and never go back down,” he said. “Those 29 games and learning from all the older guys that have been there and seeing the NHL game up close and personal helped me a lot and gave me a lot of confidence coming in here. A hundred percent I can bring it in the NHL and I look forward to showing it.”

Like all players getting their feet wet in the NHL, Sasson admitted there was a steep learning curve. Sasson tried his best to be a sponge, soaking up everything he could during his two stints with the big league team. He remained on the roster from the time he was called up in November until the end of January. He was then recalled again in April and finished the season on the NHL roster. He says, without a doubt, he felt his confidence grow each time he was in the lineup.

“I felt a lot more comfortable with the puck and wanting the puck on my stick,” he explained. “And also just being more comfortable around the guys and in the locker room. I felt, overall, throughout those 29 games and some of the games I wasn’t playing, I learned a ton from all the guys and learned a bunch about the NHL game and playing every other night. Mentally on your off days, shutting that switch and then getting right back at it the next day for a game.”

Sasson was a key contributor to Abbotsford’s American Hockey League title run, posting five goals and nine assists in 24 playoff games after recording 32 points in 41 AHL games during the regular season. He is close to proving he belongs in the NHL, and the next two weeks will offer him the opportunity to prove his value to management and the coaching staff.

General Manager Patrik Allvin isn’t making any final decisions on Sasson just yet, nor where he can best help the hockey club this season. But he believes Sasson’s versatility will serve him well in his push to stick with the big club when the last cuts are made.

“I think Max with his speed gives us a good opportunity to play as a centre and with most of our guys, their ability to play two positions really helps us with our depth,” the GM said.

For his part, Sasson is trying to put the final cuts out of his mind and focus on the process. His next chance to show the hockey club he belongs comes tonight in the Fraser Valley. While he wants to stay and play in Vancouver all season, for this night, Sasson is excited to be back in Abbotsford.

“We were all talking about that before the preseason how cool it would be if we all played together in that game,” he said. “Then seeing the lineup come out – me, Bainsy, Karly, Rats, Mancini and Kudryavtsev, all the guys I think were really excited and super pumped to be back in the Abby Centre with a cup under our belts and hopefully a warm welcome.”

There is no doubt the city of Abbotsford will welcome its Calder Cup heroes back to town. Max Sasson will always cherish the memories made in Abbotsford last season. But he really wants to make new memories in the NHL starting on October 9th.