Yann Sauve Talk

[clutesi]

a big man coming off extended down-time.

That was my thought, the man has some wheels for his size.

[nuck nit]

I thought Sauve was ready to crack the team this year and then the accident happened.

I still think there is a chance we see him with the Canucks after Christmas some time.

He is a big man and plays a solid,defensive game.

No other d man comes close to Yann,IMO.

[Ihatetomatoes]

I thought Sauve was ready to crack the team this year and then the accident happened.

I still think there is a chance we see him with the Canucks after Christmas some time.

He is a big man and plays a solid,defensive game.

No other d man comes close to Yann,IMO.

you seen him play?

[canucklehead44]

you seen him play?

I have a bit. He has a lot of potential but is not an upgrade over Rome/Alberts at this point. He is still a couple years away, which you would expect from a young defenseman, especially one from the QMJHL.

[nuck nit]

you seen him play?

Unfortunately not.

Read the scouting reports,playing history,St. John's blogs,etc..

Most informative are the comments of two former NHL coaches,former Canucks assistant Mike Kelly and former NHL head coach Gerard Gallant.

I can't locate the Kelly quote on Sauve but he believes Sauve is NHL material.

So,two former NHL coaches that say Sauve will be a top player-not a 6th or 7th d-man-have watched Sauve play and rate his chances is a better definition of talent than i could give you,anyways.

His head coach Gerard Gallant believes that the adjustment period should be easier for him to adapt to heading into pro hockey because of his size, skating, and booming shot.

Gallant himself had a marvelous career in the NHL and has coached the Columbus Blue Jackets and New York Islanders before heading to Saint John.

”I think the role they look at him as is being the solid guy that doesn’t make many mistakes in the D-zone and clears the front of the net and kills a lot of penalties and the guy you count on in the last minutes of a hockey game,” Gallant glowed.

“He will definitely be a top player some day for them.”

[Canvoucer Vanuck]

Hopefully Sauve develops into a good two-way defenceman who can skate and shut down the opposition one day for us. And if he can continue to work on his puck skills and passing he could turn into a decent puck-mover too with his mobility. If he can use his big shot effectively in the pros he could also put up some numbers, maybe 30 points a season while playing against the top forward units of the other team every night? Combine that with his sheer size and willingness to engage in the physical play, as well as a mean streak to boot, and you have no idea how much that idea has me drooling right now! Simply put, we need a guy like that in our organization.

Of course, it takes patient teaching and lots of dedicated training to even begin to put all those tools together, but hopefully that is where Gillis' increased budget for player development will manifest itself in. I can definitely see him adapting to the pros much easier than someone like Oberg or McNally, that's for sure.

[avelanch]

Good article talking about Sauve returning to action soon:

Posted on: Thursday, November 25th, 2010

By Tim Campbell, Winnipeg Free Press

The numbers just keep getting better for Manitoba Moose rookie defenceman Yann Sauve.

He's 100 per cent mentally. He declared himself 85 per cent there physically as he aims for Game No. 1 of his 2010-11 season.

Into the final days of November, the 20-year-old from Montreal is finally into the equation for the Moose after suffering a concussion at the start of the Vancouver Canucks' training camp in September.

Some say he was lucky that he suffered no broken bones after being hit by a car in downtown Vancouver.

But a concussion is no bargain, especially one that keeps a player out for more than two months.

"It's not really a good time to get injured -- as soon as you step in the pros you get hit by a car or whatever," said Vancouver's second-round pick of the 2009 draft after Wednesday's full-tilt practice at the MTS Iceplex. "After that, it was just headaches every day. You got hit by a car so you don't expect to be back on skates right away.

"The worst day was probably thinking about if or when I'm going to come back, how long it's going to take. But now I'm back on skates so I'm pretty happy."

Time and near-complete rest are the customary treatment for most concussion symptoms.

"I had the headaches, I'd watch the TV and I'd fall asleep," Sauve said, describing some of his.

Since they've abated, the 6-foot-3 defenceman's been working with his teammates for more than a week now. He's been on skates for more than two weeks, finally passing through all the concussion return-to-play protocols.

He alluded to a few setbacks during the last two months -- when symptoms re-appeared after a light workout to start the return process.

"It feels great, every day no headaches now," he said. "We made sure I didn't have any of those when I stepped on the ice."

When he rejoined the Moose on the practice ice, Sauve said he didn't see that important interim step as any kind of victory.

"It's a hard question," he said. "A victory, I won't say a victory but it feels good to come back. Being injured is not what you want because you're always thinking about coming back.

"Now I'm back and I worked hard to get back."

The next hurdle for the blue-chip prospect is the Moose lineup. The team currently has eight defencemen, though Mark Flood is out another 10 days with an upper-body injury.

Sauve said Wednesday he's been told he won't be going on the four-game road trip that starts Friday in Abbotsford, B.C.

Head coach Claude Noel's assessment of the situation leaves open the possibility that the Moose may ask the rookie blue-liner to go to Victoria and play a few ECHL games to get his season started.

"He's not there yet," Noel said. "He does need some heavy practice. We've got to sort through that. He's ready to go. He just needs timing. It's been three months. He needs to play. It's hard to play at this level and expect he'll fall right in."

Noel, however, sounds like a fan at this point.

"He was good again today," the coach said after practice. "I like him a lot. He's smart with the puck and big. I look forward to seeing him play."

Sauve said he's not going to worry about the lineup equation, only improving his readiness.

"It's always a competition to get into the lineup," Sauve said. "I've been out for two months now and I've got to say I've (come) a long way to get in shape. I can just worry about my game. The coach will decide who's playing."

[DeNiro]

Sauve has been assigned to the Salmon Kings.

Looks like they want to get him into some "easier" games before they allow him to play at the AHL level. Him and Ellington will likely form the top pairing.

http://www.moosehockey.com/moosenews/407/2024

The salmon kings play Friday and Saturday in Victoria for anyone interested in watching Sauve play.

[Canuckee]

That's a good idea to play with Victoria while the Moose are on their 4 game road trip. Hopefully he will get recalled soon.

[avelanch]

the AHL equivalent of a conditioning stint, plus Noel already told him he wouldn't be going on this road trip, so he can suit up for some lesser games to get back up to speed. i wonder how Ellington will feel when Sauve gets called back up after a couple games

[nuck nit]

Sauve debut uneventful.

-2 with one shot on goal in a 6-4 Salmon Kings loss.

Salmon Kings Assigned D-Man Yann Sauve

Rookie defenseman Yann Sauve joins Victoria on re-assignment will make pro debut tonight!

For Immediate Release

Friday, November 26, 2010

Victoria, BC – The Victoria Salmon Kings, proud affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks and Manitoba Moose, announced today that Vancouver contracted defenseman Yann Sauve has been re-assigned to the team by the Canucks via Manitoba.

The Montreal, PQ native joins Victoria after completing a four-year junior career with the Saint John Sea Dogs of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Last season, Sauve appeared in 61 games for the Sea Dogs scoring 36 points (7g-29a) while serving 65 minutes in penalties. The defenseman also helped lead Saint John to the QMJHL Final this past spring where he recorded 15 points (5g-10a) and 36 penalty minutes in 21 playoff contests.

The 6-3, 200 lb Sauve finished his time in Saint John with 20 goals and 82 assists for 102 points in 251 games while accumulating 296 minutes in penalties. He also dressed for 39 career QMJHL Playoff games with the Sea Dogs notching 20 points (6g-14a) and 67 penalty minutes. Sauve also participated in the 2006 QMJHL All-Star Game representing Saint John.

The 20-year-old, a second-round selection (#41 overall) of the Canucks in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, has also played hockey internationally for Team Canada at the 2007 World Junior U-18 Championships, where he notched one assist and four penalty minutes in six games. Sauve has also represented Team QMJHL in four versions of the Canada-Russia Super Series challenge, totaling one assist and 16 minutes in penalties across seven contests.

[Canvoucer Vanuck]

Sauve had an assist today and was even on the night with 3 shots on goal, in a 6-3 loss. Looks like Morrison has already been using him on the PK as he was on the ice for 2 PP goals against, and on the ice for both 1 goal for and against at 5-on-5. However, his lone assist came on a goal where it seems he had already gone off for a line change! Unfortunately he didn't get the + for it. So maybe he should have been +1 tonight overall then...

Anybody been watching him play?

[nuck nit]

Yann had an assist for the Salmon Kings tonight in a 3-2 OT loss.

2 shots.

2 minutes for boarding.

+2

[pomorick]

Yann had an assist for the Salmon Kings tonight in a 3-2 OT loss.

2 shots.

2 minutes for boarding.

+2

Hmm, seems like he is rapidly improving. Seriously, even at this level of pro hockey to improve so much over

such a short period suggests he will be promoted to the Moose soon. For Yann this season making the Moose is

a successful year. Next year starring on the Moose is essential for that next step to the NHL.

[Canvoucer Vanuck]

Wherever he plays, as long as he gets lots of ice time then that's fine by me! Nothing wrong with starting your pro career in the ECHL, as long as you can make it out of there and move up to the AHL, and then the NHL. He definitely seems to be coming along, having been given a lot of ice time over the past few games. But most of all, it's just good to see him playing again, really, what with that concussion he suffered.

I just realized that pretty much all of our 2008 draft picks have suffered from injuries that have been worrisome and obviously it's caused grief and angst among us Canucks fans. By this I mean Hodgson with that back injury, Sauve with his concussion, Rai with his own (still ongoing) back problems, as well as Froshaug with those mysterious illnesses of his that have hurt his development and confidence. It's just good to see them all (or most of them except for Rai) finally healthy and playing again after such a long layoff from hockey.

[avelanch]

Hmm, seems like he is rapidly improving. Seriously, even at this level of pro hockey to improve so much over

such a short period suggests he will be promoted to the Moose soon. For Yann this season making the Moose is

a successful year. Next year starring on the Moose is essential for that next step to the NHL.

3 GP... it's hard to tell what your baseline was to say that he's improving (unless you are just talking health wise)

And I'm fairly certain the moose site said he was reassigned on a conditioning stint, not permanently reassigned.

Edit: nevermind, the AHL transaction log has him listed as reassigned, not on a Conditioning loan (though maybe that does not exist from the AHL to the ECHL)

[Sawchuk]

Listening to local radio here in Victoria, the latest Salmon Kings ad is basically hyping Sauve. They had the Mark Morrison come on and describe the way Yann plays; to paraphrase, he said that Yann is a big guy, a good skater and can contribute both offensively and defensively; he thinks that Sauve has a good chance of one day playing for the 'Nucks and that attending a SKings game now would be a good chance to see a future NHL'er.

Of course we sort of know all these things already; but, it's still nice to hear.

[Sanford]

Anyone know what happened to Ellington? Not that I care, but I realize he only has 14 games. A healthy scratch? Or Injured?

Sauve 3 games played 2 points.

Ellington 14 games played 3 points.

Sigh.... 2007 draft...

[avelanch]

He hasn't played since Nov 17th... not sure why.

[brownbello]

I believe Ellington suffered a concussion. That's why he's out. I think its also on the latest article from the Time's which talks about the amount Sauve's actually playing because of injuries.