Scott MacDonald
(Photo courtesy of @Avalanche)
Brandon Saad knows a thing or two about winning. He was, after all, a member of a Chicago Blackhawks team that won two Stanley Cups in the span of three years from 2012-15. He knows a thing or two about what a championship-caliber team looks like.
And although he just arrived in town less than a month ago, Saad says he can already see a little bit of that Cup-capable make-up in the Avalanche, some of the same similarities he saw while a member of the championship-winning teams in Chicago.
“(There’s) definitely a lot of similarities,” Saad told Colorado Hockey Now. “I’m happy to be a part of this group.”
“Playing from afar and playing against them, you know how good of a team that Colorado has,” he continued. “They’re competitive every year and a Cup contender. You see from the outside and (now) I’ve been on the inside, you can kind of see the competitiveness, the way they practice, the way guys prepare.”
Brandon Saad has nearly as many Stanley Cups on his own as the entire 2021 Avs roster combined. Not only does he bring that wealth of veteran, deep-playoff-run experience with him to Colorado, but he brings valuable depth to the Avs top-six.
“This is exactly what we needed,” Nathan MacKinnon said. “Saad, he’s a big guy. He’s a big power forward, great skater. He’s another guy that can play first line, second line, third line, can kill penalties. You need that in the playoffs especially. I think you need guys that can can do everything.”
Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar shared similar feelings of confidence in the Saad acquisition, equating him to a sort of Swiss Army Knife on ice.
“I know what he’s done with the Chicago Blackhawks, and playing against us and the roles that he’s been put in there and had success there,” said Bednar in his scouting report. “I like a lot of things that he brings to the table. He’s a big guy that can pack the puck and can contribute offensively, be a responsible defender, chip in on both special teams.”
After missing the first three days of Avs training camp, Saad returned to the ice with his new teammates on Friday for the first time, gaining valuable time on ice with his new linemates. Saad is expected to play on the second line on Nazem Kadri’s wing, opposite captain Gabe Landeskog.
“Sometimes you get put on a line and you have chemistry right off the get-go, and sometimes you have to work on it. Today, it was it was a good first day, I thought,” Landeskog said of playing with Saad and Kadri. “I’m excited to get the chance to play with both of them obviously.
“I think Saad is going to bring a lot to our team. Obviously, experience and he’s got two Stanley Cup rings…Obviously he’s got speed; he can finish, and I’m looking forward to see what we can do as a line.”
With the addition of Brandon Saad to an already deep and talented Avalanche team, bookies, media pundits and sports fans alike have the Avs as the odds-on favorites to win the Stanley Cup this season. And looking at the Avs roster, it’s pretty clear as to why. Now, Saad might just be the veteran glue that pastes the missing championship piece in place for Colorado.
“I think he’s a guy that’s looking forward to chipping in and contributing to our success. He’s one of the guys I’m excited for,” Bednar added. “He’s had a lot of success in other places he’s been and now he’s coming to us with another chance to play a major role and help impact our team positively.”
And while he’s only been here for three weeks now, Brandon Saad can feel the excitement building.
“It’s been great…It’s just it’s been a good experience so far,” he said. “And to top it all off, we have a great hockey team, so I’m really excited to be here.”