The Vancouver Canucks have reached an agreement with Ashton Sautner, signing the defenseman to a one-year, two-way contract. Sautner had qualified for Group VI unrestricted free agency and could have signed with any team, but will be returning to the only professional organization he has played for.
An undrafted free agent signing out of the WHL, Sautner worked his way up the Vancouver depth chart and has played in 23 games for the Canucks over the last three seasons. While he will certainly spend the majority of 2020-21 in the minor leagues, he serves as valuable depth for a team that has their eyes on the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The 26-year-old defenseman scored 12 points in 51 games for the Utica Comets this season but is still looking for his first goal at the NHL level. The contract details were not released, but the deal is likely for the league minimum of $700K at the NHL level.