Saad But True (bowman)

There is great news and terrible news in Chicagoland right now.

The great news is that the Hawks have just won their third Stanley Cup in the past six seasons. The terrible news is that due to serious salary cap limitations, the Blackhawks will be saying goodbye to several key players who have contributed greatly to the perennial success of the Blackhawks over the past few seasons.

More bad news:

The NHL salary cap for the 2015-16 season will be $71 million. The Hawks already have $21 million of it committed Jonathon Toews and Patrick Kane. Each future Hall Of Famer will slide into brand new mega contracts that will pay each player $10.5 million for the next eight seasons. Patrick Sharp ($5.9 million cap hit next two seasons) Bryan Bickell ($4 million cap hit next two seasons) will more than likely be the Hawks vets who will changing their mailing addresses come July. The Hawks will also be saying goodbye to pending UFAs Johnny Oduya, Antoine Vermette, Brad Richards, Andrew Desjardins and Michal Rozsival. Bowman will replace the high dollar vets with young kids on entry level contracts. Teuvo Teravainen, Trevor Van Riemsdyk, Artemi Panarin, and Kyle Baun will assume roster spots.

The inherent risk of being an NHL player with a fat contract in 2015 is that one day you are popping corks and dancing on the bar with fans while holding the Stanley Cup over your head. The next, you are saying goodbye to your friends in the organization and your teammates. You know it’s Saad but true.

On Wednesday, Chicago Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman wants the free world to know that he fully and completely intends on re-signing his brilliant young power forward Brandon Saad, who will become RFA in July.

“I just talked to [Saad] right after we won. We gave a hug and I said, ‘This is the first of many; we’re going to win a lot together.’ He gave me a big hug and said, ‘Let’s go.’ So, no, he’s going to be here. I don’t think he would want to leave after this scene here.…

Go ahead Tim Murray and Peter Chiarelli. Stan Bowman dares you to offer sheet Brandon Saad. Bowman will not flinch if another GM wants to take a healthy run at Saad. The vulture are circling over Bowman's head right now. They want to dive bomb him and take advantage of him in his team's most vulnerable state. Bowman isn't nervous about losing Saad.

Saad said that he is all about winning Stanley Cups in Chicago.

“The money’s going to come and go. But to win championships and play on a great team, that’s what it’s all about,… Saad said. "I’m looking forward to getting something done pretty quick.… Saad, 22, who was selected in the second round of the 201 NHL Draft, will no doubt be signing an 7-8 year contract extension that will pay him in the $6 million per season. Could his agent negotiate for more money and term elsewhere, say Buffalo?

Yes.

Is Saad interested in chasing after the big money and giving up on the Chicago dream machine?

No.

If Saad has to take a hometown haircut, so be it. Other Hawks players have taken less money per season to stay and play in Chicago (see Bryan Bickell and Nik Hjalmarsson) in the recent past.

The Blackhawks are a dynasty and Saad will play a featured role in the deep future playoffs runs.

Symbolically, the torch is being passed from Sharp to Saad.

“They’ve been great to me,… Saad said of the Blackhawks “Obviously you play the game to win. This is where I want to be.…

Bowman won’t allow himself to lose a money war for Saad.

“He (Saad) will be a big part of our group for many years to come. We’ll make it work; that’s not a concern to me,… Bowman said of Saad.

“Brandon’s been a big part of this, he’s grown as a player and we want him to continue to grow and take a bigger role next year. I think we’ve seen him emerge over the last couple of seasons. He’s just starting to grow into a big role on our team and that’ll continue for many years to come. We’ll work that out. I have confidence in that, in terms of bringing a player like Brandon back.…

The Pittsburgh born left winger has been a man child in term if his goal production and offensive prowess in his first three seasons in the NHL. In 218 career regular season games in Chicago, Saad has scored 52 goals and has added 74 assists. However, his most impressive career stat is that he has scored 15 goals and chipped in 19 assists in his 67 Stanley Cup playoff games played. Saad has scored huge goals en route to his two Stanley Cup victories in the past three seasons. What’s scary is to think about how great a player Saad will be when he finally hits his prime in the next 3-4 seasons. Scary, man.

Saad doesn’t want to leave Chicago. Yet. He still has unfinished business to do there.

“It’s not about the money,… said Saad. “We love playing the game, and to be in Chicago and be a part of a great team where we get along, it’s a great group of guys and we have a lot of fun. This is the goal, to get something done and be in Chicago.…

Thanks, CSN Chicago

What would happen if Buffalo or Edmonton offer sheeted Saad? No worries for Bowman who will match the offer sheet like he did in 2010 when Chicago matched the four-year, $14 million offer sheet that defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson signed with San Jose. Byu matching the Hjalmarsson offer sheet, the Blackhawks had to say goodbye to Cup winner Antti Niemi who ended up in San Jose.

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Tim Murray wants to re-brand his Buffalo Sabres as a young, skilled, fast, hard team to play against.

Murray has several rock solid prospects who possess the aforementioned attributes. Dan Bylsma will need help teaching the new culture to the youngsters.

Murray has hired two former NHLers who were the epitome of hard work and dogged determination. The Sabres have Adam Mair and Krys Barch as player development coaches.

Known as one if the grittiest, hardest working players in Sabres history, Mair rejoins the organization after spending the last 18 months as a coach with the Academy of Hockey at HARBORCENTER, where he was responsible for educating aspiring hockey players and coaches both on and off the ice through clinics, on-ice instruction and classroom teaching. Mair began his coaching career in 2012-13 as director of player development for head coach Dave Smith at Canisius College.

Mair spent 12 seasons as an energy forward in the NHL, appearing in 615 games. In addition to his seven seasons and nearly 500 games with the Sabres, he also played for the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Los Angeles Kings, and finished his NHL career in 2010-11 as a member of the New Jersey Devils.

Here's an example of how Mair, the son of two school teachers, can break down a prospect's overall game. Here he analyzes the tendencies in the impressive work Zemgus Girgensons.

Mair will be tasked with transitioning youngsters Jack Eichel, Samson Reinhart, Rasmus Ristolainen, Nikita Zadorov, Mark Pysyk, Jake McCabe, Nick Baptiste, Justin Bailey, J.T. Compher, Evan Rodrigues and others to the NHL level of play.

Barch will begin his post-playing career with the Sabres after spending eight seasons and 381 games in the NHL as a forward for the Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers and New Jersey Devils. Barch was a rough and tumble energy guy who showed zero fear in dropping his gloves to defend his teammates.

Thanks, Sabres

 

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