It may be fair to say Brandon Saad has not been the player the Chicago Blackhawks thought he’d be when they re-acquired him in June 2017. He only had 35 points in 2017-18, including 18 goals, and was anything but a threat on the power play. The guy he was traded for, Artemi Panarin, helped lead the Columbus Blue Jackets to the playoffs and to two wins over the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Washington Capitals.
But the numbers belying Saad have given a different impression - that he’s been more than capable of moving the puck and helping the Blackhawks offensively.