One of the members of the Blackhawks dynasty might be seeing his career wind down quickly.
Former Chicago Blackhawks winger and two-time Stanley Cup winner Brandon Saad hit waivers as the St. Louis Blues turn in another direction.
Saad has one more year left on his deal at $4.5 million AAV and is the fifth-highest paid forward on the Blues. He has a full no-trade clause in his contract this season before it turns to a 12-team no-trade clause for his final season.
It is probable that the Blues tried to dump his contract on a non-contender for added cap space, but the no-trade clause got in the way. I don't expect any team to claim him off waivers as a cap hit like that can bring back an asset if he does make it until next season. The veteran is a likely buyout candidate this summer though.
Saad was drafted 43rd overall by the Blackhawks in 2011 and appeared in two games that following season. He split his rookie season as a 20-year-old between the AHL and NHL where he finished the season by winning the Stanley Cup. At 22, Saad also won it again, except this time making a larger impact with eight goals.
Saad was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets after the second Cup, only to be re-acquired two years later in the infamous Artemi Panarin trade that didn't work out for the Blackhawks.
The seven-time 20-goal scorer spent the last four seasons with the Blues playing his role as a secondary scorer well, but has fallen off this season with just seven goals and 16 points in 43 games. The Blues are getting younger and seemingly moving on from Saad is a clear indication of that.
Will he get another shot in the NHL this season, next season, or after a likely buyout? Possibly, as he does have great veteran experience and has proven he can score.
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