There's a Reason the Canucks Max Sasson Is Starting to Get

Sometimes the most interesting player on a struggling team isn't the one scoring the most goals or getting the biggest headlines. Max Sasson is a good example of that with the Vancouver Canucks.

Sasson Is Becoming a Player the Canucks Can Count On.

Sasson scored his fourth goal of the season in Saturday's 4–2 loss to Toronto, but there was more to like about his game. He also won four of five faceoffs and formed a line with Brendan Gallagher and Paul Cotter that gave Vancouver some noticeable energy.

What makes Sasson interesting is that his game seems to fit what Manny Malhotra wants from his players. He plays with speed, gets involved on the forecheck, competes for pucks and makes sensible decisions in his own end. None of that is particularly glamorous, but coaches notice those things. So do teammates.

There's also something encouraging about watching a player find a role and grow into it. Sasson is 26, so he's not exactly a young prospect waiting for his first big opportunity. He's a player who’s had to work his way into the NHL picture, and he’s starting to get rewarded for it.

Maybe Sasson Just Needed a Chance.

He scored 13 goals last season, and four already this year puts him on a reasonable path toward a new career high. Could he reach 20? That's possible, although I wouldn't get too carried away with the projections just yet.

The more interesting question is whether Sasson can become the sort of dependable forward every good team needs. Not everybody can play on the top line, and not everybody needs to. A team also needs players who can win a faceoff, create a little trouble on the forecheck, make life uncomfortable for opposing defencemen and help keep the puck out of their own net.

Is Sasson Finding His Place on this Rebuilding Canucks Team?

The Canucks have plenty of bigger questions to answer as they try to rebuild. But finding useful players who understand their responsibilities is part of the process. Sasson seems to be giving Malhotra more reasons to trust him, and that could become more important than whether he reaches a particular goal total.

Sometimes a player doesn't have to become a star to become an important part of a team's future. Sasson might be showing Vancouver exactly that.