Jan. 29, 1:56 p.m.: The Blues and Saad are now heading toward a mutual contract termination, Friedman adds. The move will make him an unrestricted free agent, so he’ll be able to sign with any team down the stretch with new contract terms. However, he’ll be walking away from north of $5MM of cash he was still owed on his deal with St. Louis.
Jan. 29, 1:05 p.m.: Saad and Sylvegård cleared waivers Wednesday, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. Saad heads to the AHL for the first time in over a decade, while Sylvegård has had his contract terminated and is free to return to Europe.
Jan. 28: Blues general manager Doug Armstrong announced Tuesday that they’re placing veteran winger Brandon Saad on waivers, per Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic. St. Louis also placed winger Marcus Sylvegård on unconditional waivers for the purposes of contract termination, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.
Saad is in the fourth season of a five-year, $22.5MM contract he signed with the Blues as an unrestricted free agent in 2021. The deal carries a $4.5MM cap hit, but he’s only owed $4.375MM in salary this season and $3.625MM in 2025-26.
Saad, who has struggled to the tune of seven goals, nine assists, and 16 points in 43 games this season, was a speculative trade candidate before the deadline but carries a full no-trade clause until July 1. Placing him on waivers will allow interested clubs to acquire him even if he would have otherwise blocked a trade. Notably, the Blues can’t retain any salary on Saad if he’s claimed off waivers rather than traded.
Armstrong told reporters, including Lou Korac of NHL.com, that Saad will report to and play for AHL Springfield if he goes unclaimed tomorrow. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports that Saad had told the Blues he was willing to waive his NTC, but no trade materialized. They won’t be making a corresponding recall after Saad is removed from the roster, Armstrong added (via Matthew DeFranks of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch).
While things haven’t panned out for the 32-year-old Saad in St. Louis this season, he was a decent secondary scorer as recently as last season, when he turned in 26 goals and stayed healthy for all 82 games. It was Saad’s second-best goal-scoring season of his 14-year NHL career. However, his overall offense has continuously dropped off from his days of routinely producing around 50 points per season for the Blackhawks and Blue Jackets early on.
In Saad’s defense, a good portion of his struggles can be attributed to a significant dropoff in shooting percentage. He’s clicking at just 9.3%, the second-lowest rate of his career and down nearly 50% from last year’s 18.1% success rate. He’s due for regression, especially considering his 36 individual high-danger chances at 5-on-5 are tied for third on the Blues, per Natural Stat Trick.
A second-round pick by Chicago in 2011, Saad reached the NHL one year later and won championships with the Hawks in both 2013 and 2015. A salary cap crunch forced Chicago to trade him to the Blue Jackets for a package centered around Artem Anisimov following the second of those Cups, but the Blackhawks re-acquired him from Columbus two years later – unfortunately giving up superstar winger Artemi Panarin in the process.
But on the wrong side of 30 and with another year left on his deal, Saad finding a new home on waivers seems unlikely – especially if the Blues were previously willing to retain salary to facilitate a trade. Most teams interested in adding a veteran piece instead of subtracting likely won’t have the cap space for Saad at his full impact.
The Blues signed Sylvegård, 25, as an undrafted free agent from Sweden’s Växjö Lakers last offseason. He’s done well on assignment to Springfield, ranking fifth on the team with 21 points (10 G, 11 A) in 35 games, but has yet to receive an NHL recall. Evidently, both parties are satisfied with breaking ties early and allowing him to return to Europe. He’ll become an unrestricted free agent upon termination.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Wow value of contract really did this guy in. I see someone in a trade with $ retained by blues the only way this guy is on a new team.
Ya half retained I could see a few teams thinking about it
Contract had nothing to do with his play. By that logic the highest players play the worst.
And yet we still have Sonny! Unbelievable.
it’s odd that the Blues won’t be calling up anyone to replace Saad, since they will have only one extra forward and Holloway has to be considered questionable for the next game. They don’t even have an extra defenseman (unless they have recalled someone to replace Peruvonich) so if Holloway and someone else can’t go, they would have to play one man short.
In that case, it would be a corresponding recall for an additional injury, not for Saad. I don’t believe that’s what Armstrong is saying here.
I was thinking specifically about the next game, where it seems that they have little margin for anybody coming up lame getting ready for the game. I guess that they have until Friday to see how Holloway progresses, and if it looks like he won’t be ready, they could recall someone due to his injury, as you suggest.
Pittsburgh and Toronto are reportedly interested in Saad. Lol.
The Pens would get some ticket sales as he’s from the burgh. And is he really any worse than anyone else they’ve trotted out in the bottom 6?
Not sure he’s old enough for the Pens
Highly doubt Pittsburgh is interested. They want to get younger at all costs.
Surprised StanBo wouldn’t trade Draisaitl for him.
Stan isn’t Chiarelli
If I were a playoff contender with Cap space, I’d pick him up for free. Still skates well, has good size.
He would come to life on another team-if the blues pay half they might be able to get rid of him-or another team might have the same they want rid of-Vancouver has two
Has he gotten slow? Has he stopped caring? Bad luck?
What is actually wrong with him?
Leaving lots of $$. He should have waited for them to buy him out or trade him in the off season.
He probably doesn’t want to ride busses or stay at Motel 6.
He’s basically buying (assuming he does sign in the NHL) chartered flights and nice hotel rooms out of his own pocket.
He’s made over $50M dollars in his career he’s set financially.
he wants to be on a playoff team
He signs a league minimum 1 yr contract and goes for a cup! Many contenders will talk to him!
Huge gamble on Saads part, He must have a gigantic ego, Leaving millions on the table in return for complete freedom, I think he will sign with another team, Soon in fact, But it will likely be for at, Or under one million.
I don’t think giving up the money in exchange for freedom indicates a massive ego.
Gigantic ego? No, maybe he sees he’s not gonna get ice in StL and wants to try his luck with a contender.
Walking away from millions for the chance to play for a contender instead of being relegated to the AHL at 32 years old doesn’t sound like an egoist at all. In fact, it sounds like someone who cares more about happiness than money.
He gave up alot of money, And was headed to the minors, I think massive ego is at least part of the conversation.
He’s avoiding the minors at any cost, The human ego would play a big part in that decision making.
That’s the other side of the T shirt.
“Freedom isn’t free…but you’re a big headed jerk if you want it more than cold hard cash.”
if he has a competent agent, i expect he has a good idea of whether an NHL team will sign him or if his SOL.
absolutely nothing to do with it. Minors/Blues vs. NHL playoffs?? Brains, not ego
you are still wrong
It’s the exact opposite of that. A giant ego wouldn’t have allowed him to play for less money.
@usaKesler: If Saad and his agent know there are teams who want him but don’t have the cap space to take on his current contract, what he’s doing here is completely logical for a player who wants to win a Cup near the end of their career.
Becomes a free agent. Back to Colorado for cheap depth possibly?
He makes less than $5 mil if bought out