Edmonton Oilers

So Did I Just Watch Max Sasson Shut Down Connor McDavid?

Max Sasson surprised everyone against McDavid. But did Vancouver also show the NHL a way to make the Oilers star less dangerous?

by
Old Prof
September 30, 2026

In the Vancouver Canucks 6-5 win over the Edmonton Oilers, there were more than a few surprises. But the one that surprised me most was watching a 26-year-old Canucks’ depth forward, Max Sasson, handle the best player on the planet. No one is supposed to shut down Connor McDavid, but I saw it with my own eyes.

And how interesting is that?

Sasson Had a Solid Game Against McDavid

Sasson had a really good night against Edmonton on Tuesday. One goal, one assist, and a big hand in the overtime winner in a wild 6-5 Canucks victory. That’s enough to get your attention. But then you look at who he was playing against. Connor McDavid.

Manny Malhotra didn’t exactly hide Sasson from the best player on the planet. The new Canucks coach trusted Sasson’s line with a lot of the McDavid matchup, and Sasson held his own. McDavid finished the night with no shots on goal. That’s what makes me double-check the numbers.

Sasson wasn’t perfect. Nobody is going to be perfect trying to contain McDavid. But he did his job. He competed, stayed responsible, blocked a couple of shots, and somehow still found time to create some offence.

Sasson Scored His First Goal of the Season in the Surprising Win

He scored in the third period to make it 4-2, finishing a nice give-and-go with a backhand. Then, in overtime, he helped create the winner. Paul Cotter did the heavy lifting, forcing the turnover and getting himself to the net. But Sasson made the play that mattered. He saw Cotter and delivered the puck.

That’s a pretty good night for a guy who had 19 points in 66 games last season. And that’s where the question gets interesting. Is Sasson simply a useful third-line centre who can play some responsible minutes? Or is there a little more here?

Nobody should be answering that question after one game. That’s getting way ahead of things. But this is exactly how players create a new impression. You get a big assignment. You don’t back away. You play against McDavid, keep your head, contribute offensively, and then help set up the overtime winner.

McDavid on Babcock Oilers — McDavid of the Oilers

Oilers Fans Are Going to Start Wondering About What They’re Seeing

Maybe that’s the best thing about opening night for the Canucks. A few players here haven’t necessarily gotten much attention outside Vancouver. Sasson just gave everybody a reason to pay attention. Of course, it was only one game. But if Manny Malhotra can trust Max Sasson with tough minutes against the best player in the world, and Sasson can play that kind of game while contributing offensively, well, that’s a pretty good player for the Canucks to have right now.

But if a depth player can be trusted to play McDavid tough minutes and have this kind of success, is there actually a way to make McDavid less dangerous over the course of a season? After one game, the answer is obviously: we don’t know. But that’s the question this game raises. McDavid still had two assists, so we can’t say Sasson “shut him down” completely. He did, however, finish with zero shots on goal, while Sasson scored and assisted in Vancouver’s 6-5 overtime win.

It could make Oilers fans wonder what this guy has. But maybe the bigger question here is whether McDavid can be contained more often than we think. If a player like Sasson can take on that assignment, stay responsible, keep McDavid from getting a shot on goal, and still contribute offensively, maybe the rest of the league can learn something from it.