Remembering Brandon Saad's Time In Chicago
Brandon Saad was truly an interesting player during his multiple stints with the Chicago Blackhawks. Saad often faced ridicule from fans because he was re-acquired for the price of future franchise star Artemi Panarin. The ridicule he faced during his time here in Chicago was fair at times, however, he was still a very solid player at a time when the Blackhawks needed him. Let's revisit Saad's career here in Chicago from a statistical standpoint.
Saad was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2011 NHL Draft by the Chicago Blackhawks. During his first full season in 2012-2013, Saad skated in 46 games, tallying 27 points. Saad's best offensive season in a Blackhawks' sweater was in 2014-2015, scoring 52 points in 82 games. Saad found himself on a line with Jonathan Toews, ultimately leading Toews to new offensive heights as well.
Saad was traded to Columbus in 2015 after a Stanley Cup winning season when he was due for a pay raise. Saad was traded in exchange for Artem Anisimov, Jeremy Morin, Marko Dano, and Corey Tropp.
Saad ultimately returned to the Blackhawks after two seasons in Columbus in exchange for Artemi Panarin. After returning to Chicago, Saad wasn't able to keep up his offensive production, but was still an overall solid player, scoring 35, 47, and 33 points respectively in those three seasons. Saad was shipped to Colorado in 2020 in exchange for Nikita Zadorov.
While Brandon Saad's time in Chicago was a carousel filled with what-ifs and some success, Saad never changed the way he played. Saad was a big part of our Stanley Cup run in 2015 and was a part of the 2013 Stanley Cup team as well. He wasn't afraid to stand up for his teammates, play defense, or engage in corner battles. While Saad's Blackhawks career will forever be compared to Artemi Panarin's, we need to remember how instrumental he was to our success.
| POLL | ||
Do you think Brandon Saad was a key part to our playoff success? | ||
| Yes! | 83 | 67.5 % |
| No! | 40 | 32.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
