Canucks: Amid Line Shakeups, Sasson, Bains, & Gallagher Remain Solid Together

Lineup changes are a common thing in the NHL. 

For the Vancouver Canucks, they’ve become a near-daily occurrence to start the 2026–27 season. 

Vancouver’s collection of forwards have remained relatively consistent throughout the team’s first 11 games of the season. The only major changes have come as a result of illnesses (Jake DeBrusk, Marco Rossi), injury returns (Filip Chytil), or roster moves (Aatu Räty). Because of these occurrences, however, Vancouver’s forward lines have faced changes nearly every game. 

The single line that has started games together for more than five matchups is that of Elias Pettersson, Jake DeBrusk, and Jonathan Lekkerimäki, who have started seven games together. That said, this trio was broken-up ahead of Vancouver’s 11th game of the season — a home matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes. 

Vancouver’s next most-common line has only started three total games together, skating together for 31:19 minutes overall. That’s the grouping of Max Sasson, Arshdeep Bains, and Brendan Gallagher, who have typically played fourth-line minutes for the Canucks. Every other line combination has only played with one-another once or twice. 

This current unit features an intriguing complement of players. The most dangerous asset on this line is undoubtedly Sasson’s speed; a tool that Vancouver’s also been utilizing on the penalty kill as well as at even-strength. Having a centre that can clock a skating speed of nearly 40 km/hr (which he almost did on October 10 against the New Jersey Devils) can provide a prime tool for an effective checking fourth-line. 

“Especially when I get the legs moving, I think it puts a lot of pressure on defenders. I think I get to pucks maybe a little quicker. I close out in the D-zone a little quicker,” Sasson told The Hockey News after the team’s practice on Monday. 

“That’s my kind of elite ability. I think everyone has something, and they wouldn’t be here without it.” 

That speed went on full-display last night, when Sasson scored Vancouver’s third goal of the game in a 6–3 loss to the Hurricanes, tearing up the ice and capitalizing on Bains crashing the net. Gallagher, who was given the second-assist on the goal, was the player that won the board battle to get the puck back in Vancouver’s possession. 

The Canucks’ fourth line has moved around a bit through the team’s start to the 2026–27 season, though one of Sasson, Bains, and Gallagher have typically been part of whatever grouping skates those minutes. Of the 144:46 minutes he’s played in this season, Sasson has skated with Bains for 53:24 of them. 60:57 of them have been spent on a line with Gallagher. Bains and Gallagher, who have played in 99:36 and 104:48 minutes together respectively, have spent nearly half of their total ice-time on the season together (50:58). 

Whether the trio are actually together or not, on a nightly basis, the odds that at least two of the three are skating together are pretty high. 

“I think we have a really good understanding of what each of us are as players, and I think what each of us want to do in the game,” said Sasson. “I think if we keep getting a run of games here, I think some results will start coming.”  

Other players that have played as part of that core include Drew O’Connor, Paul Cotter, and the recently traded Räty. The most consistent member of this fourth-line has been Gallagher, who has skated in this position in every game save for October 8 against the Hurricanes.  

Does the fourth-line placement come with a bit of a built-in mentorship role for Gallagher? Potentially. 

“What a good guy to learn from. He’s been doing it for so long, and doing it at such a high level for so long, and such a great guy off the ice, so easy to kind of play with and know what he wants me to bring and what I know he’s going to bring.

“I think just seeing how hard he plays and competes. But away from the ice, I think just seeing kind of his relaxed vibe of being just a really good guy and learn[ing] from him, and then when it comes to the game, it’s go-time” 

Sasson, Bains, and Gallagher aren’t their team’s main source of offence. They’re not expected to be. But that doesn’t mean they can’t make a meaningful impact in the limited minutes they may play. 

One of the best examples of this took place in Vancouver’s close 3–2 loss to the New York Islanders back on October 13. Sasson and Bains combined for a big goal after hustling into the O-zone after a line change, with this being one of the occasions that gave Vancouver enough momentum to tie the game. 

That night, the trio had the second-highest CF% on Vancouver — 53.33% — and were also the lone line to produce more scoring chances-for (4) than against (2). 

The solid numbers continue from there. Amid a handful of lineup changes mid-game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday, Sasson, Bains, and Gallagher ended up being the lone trio kept together, resulting in four scoring chances-for (and one against) in 6:12 minutes played together. 

That string of ‘almost there’ efforts in the O-zone clicked for the Sasson, Bains, and Gallagher line in their most recent game on Tuesday night. Aside from Sasson’s goal, the trio swarmed the net on a couple occasions before finally cashing in. They also produced the most scoring chances for Vancouver with six total. In the 8:31 minutes they played in together on Tuesday, the trio also logged the team’s highest CF% with 60%.  

Keep in mind that these solid numbers could also be inflated by the fact that this group plays less minutes compared to the rest of their team. That’s not a knock on them, however. Fourth-line minutes generally tend to be pretty sheltered. If anything, it emphasizes that the trio have been solid in the roles asked of them.  

As a fourth line, Sasson, Bains, and Gallagher won’t be heavily relied on to generate offence, nor will they be relied on to play heavy minute loads compared to other groups. But if they can pitch in on occasion while maintaining a strong presence in the O-zone, they can have a strong effect on the results of Vancouver’s games. 

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