Canucks sign NCAA standout centre Max Sasson to two-year contract

Western Michigan University standout Max Sasson has signed a two-year, entry-level deal with the Vancouver Canucks. Photo by Ashley Huss /Western Michigan University

The Vancouver Canucks were looking for a future third-line centre.

They they hope they’ve found one in Max Sasson.

The club announced Sunday morning that it has signed the Western Michigan University standout to a two-year, entry-level deal. The 22-year-old Birmingham, Mich. native, who had a strong sophomore season with 42 points (15-27) in 38 games, will join the American Hockey League affiliate in Abbotsford on an amateur tryout contract in time for the club’s American Hockey League playoff run.

“He is coming off a very strong year and has shown continual improvement in his game each of the last few seasons,” Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin said in a news release. “We look forward to watching him develop at the professional level with our staff in Vancouver and Abbotsford.”

Sasson is a client of player agent Dan Milstein of Goldstar, who has six players in the Canucks organization in this stable, and that could have been helpful in selling the centre on the merits of the city and the club. He was drawing a lot of interest from many NHL clubs, but the encouraging projection of where the Canucks are heading under new management, and especially head coach Rick Tocchet, was imperative in his signing decision.

“It was entirely that Max had a tough decision to make and narrowed down his choice, and it wasn’t about other Goldstar clients in Vancouver,” said the agency’s player representative Keith McKittrick. “It was a completely independent decision. He felt comfortable with the direction that they (Canucks) are going.

Here is the young man the #canucks signed today out of Western Michigan. Sung the anthem prior to a game he played in because the real singer didn’t show. ???? https://t.co/EfVAgazBs5

— Dan Murphy (@sportsnetmurph) March 26, 2023

In addition to ranking second on the team in assists (27) and third in points (42), the second-year Bronco tied for first in game-winning goals (4), had a share of third-most power play goals (5) and ranked fifth in plus-minus (+20). He finished 13th in NCAA scoring and average 1.11 points per outing.

The scouting report on the left-shot Sasson is that he can be deployed in all situations, has a high compete level and good jump. That foot speed carries over to the neutral zone, but like many moving on to the pro game, he needs work on being quicker in tight areas. On the power play, he’s good on the flank and his quick shot has some zip. He’s also willing to work inside to get to pucks around net and extend plays.

Said one NHL scout: “I think he should have played a third (NCAA) year, but overall, he will project into a two-way, second-line AHL centre in his prime years of 24 to 29. The vast majority of NCAA free agents are AHL players.”

Sasson has played more than 24 minutes on some nights because he also kills penalties. At the NHL, he projects as a two-way scoring centre.

The 6-foot-1, 185-pound centreman established career-highs with 22 points (9-13), 18 penalty minutes, and a plus-4 rating in 2021-22. Before beginning his college career, Sasson spent three full seasons in the United States Hockey League (USHL) with the Waterloo Black Hawks and Cedar Rapids RoughRiders.

After playing just one game for the USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks at the tail end of the 2017-18 season, Sasson progressed offensively each of the next three seasons at the junior level, capped off by a point-per-game campaign (20-29 in 48 games) with Waterloo in 2020-21.

In 156 regular season USHL games, Sasson registered 91 points (39-52) and added five points (2-3) in six playoff games with Cedar Rapids in 2018-19.