Transaction: Vancouver Canucks Replace Jonathan Lekkerimaki with Surprising Roster Move

In the next 24 hours, the Vancouver Canucks will head east to begin their six-game road trip in the Nation's capital as they face the Ottawa Senators on Saturday as part of Hockey Night in Canada.

General Manager Patrik Allvin was looking to make a change to the team's roster before they flew out of Vancouver and he did exactly that on Thursday morning.

In a post on the team's X account, the Vancouver Canucks announced that 24-year-old forward Max Sasson has been called up, while Jonathan Lekkerimaki - their 2022 first-round pick - is heading to the AHL's Abbotsford Canucks.

Sasson, a native of Birmingham, Michigan, was signed as a free agent by Patrik Allvin and the Canucks in the spring of 2023 after he completed his second year of collegiate hockey with Western Michigan University.

After a solid rookie year in Abbotsford in 2023-24 which saw him put up 42 points in 56 games, Sasson has had a bit of a slow season production-wise, but has still looked strong in the AHL.

In 16 games, Sasson has registered nine points (four goals, five assists), six penalty minutes and is a minus-four.

As for Jonathan Lekkerimaki, his first NHL stint wasn't too bad, which included his first career goal in his second game in the league.

The Tullinge, Sweden native had one goal, two penalty minutes and was a minus-four in his first five NHL games and will now head back to Abbotsford, where he's guaranteed to play big minutes, which will help his development in the long run.

We'll have to wait and see if Max Sasson will make his National Hockey League debut against Ottawa, but we should have a good idea on Saturday morning, when the Canucks hold their game-day skate.

Puck drop for Saturday's game against the Ottawa Senators is set for 4 pm PT on CBC, Sportsnet Pacific and Sportsnet One.