After an injury-plagued 2010-11 campaign, Sauve was able to stay relatively healthy while playing for Chicago of the AHL this past season. He finished the 2011-12 campaign with nine points (3 G, 6 A) in 73 games. His point production was disappointing last season and his status as a highly-touted prospect has taken a hit, however, Sauve remains en route to be a steady top-four defensemen if his development continues to progress.
Thanks to a rash of injuries to the Canucks' defense, Sauve made his NHL debut last season, seeing limited action in five games. The 21-year-old blueliner would likely be best served with more experience at the AHL level, but he latch on to one of the Canucks' final roster spots with an impressive showing at camp.
Sauve, 20, signed a three-year, entry-level deal with the Canucks this past offseason. He has good size (6-3, 220) and is a solid skater, but he will need to develop his stick handling at the AHL level for a season or two before seeing time on the big pond.
At 6-2, 209, Sauve is a big defender with a physical game. While the physical side of his game won't be questioned, Suave still needs to develop his game on the offensive side of things. The 19-year-old will return to junior hockey for more seasoning, but it's worth keeping an eye on him to see if his puck handling and skating can improve enough to make an impact at the NHL level in the future.
Suave is currently working on his game in the QMJHL and it will probably be a couple of seasons before he makes the jump to the minor leagues. At 18, Sauve remains a great prospect, but he is years away from becoming a fantasy asset.
