Paul Cotter and Max Sasson may not have spent much time together in Vancouver yet, but their path to a possible Canucks reunion already has a built-in connection.
Both forwards suited up for Team USA at the 2026 IIHF World Championship in May, and that tournament offered a glimpse of how they could fit together again when the NHL season opens. Cotter, who signed a one-year deal with the Canucks worth $2.15 million a little over a week ago, is heading into his sixth NHL season after previous stops with the Vegas Golden Knights and New Jersey Devils. Vancouver is expected to slot him into the bottom six, where he can help at both center and wing, though he has been used on the wing more frequently lately.
Sasson’s recent path has been a little similar. He started his NHL career mostly at center, then shifted to the wing toward the end of this year. At the World Championship, though, he moved back to center - and one of the players beside him was Cotter.
That pairing clicked quickly. In their first game together, Sasson and Cotter combined on Sasson’s first point and Cotter’s first goal of the tournament. Cotter finished the event with two goals and two assists in eight games.
The two Michigan natives stayed together for the rest of the tournament, skating alongside Mathieu Olivier. As Team USA’s identity line, the group brought plenty of bite and physical play while also chipping in offensively from the depth of the lineup. Sasson and Cotter each averaged just under 14 minutes per game.
That history gives Vancouver an obvious option if it wants to reunite them. A line built around Cotter and Sasson, with another rugged presence alongside them - perhaps someone like Brendan Gallagher, perhaps - could give the Canucks a hard-nosed third or fourth line with a clear edge.
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