The Golden Knights have agreed to terms on a one-year contract with winger Brandon Saad after he officially clears unconditional waivers and became a UFA at 1:00 pm CT, per a team announcement. It’s worth a prorated $1.5MM for the remainder of the season, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.
Saad fills the veteran scoring winger need that Vegas was looking to address before the trade deadline. That need has been exacerbated in recent weeks with long-term injuries to William Karlsson and Cole Schwindt, forcing players like Raphael Lavoie and Keegan Kolesar to step into top-nine roles. They fill the hole without giving anything up aside from cap space, which they were tight on before today’s move with Karlsson and Schwindt on standard IR.
Unless they make a corresponding transaction, Karlsson will likely be transferred to LTIR if he’s not expected back before the 4 Nations Face-Off. If he is, Schwindt and his $800K cap hit have been out of the lineup longer, making a retroactive placement easier. Just Schwindt’s relief will likely be enough to accommodate Saad’s cap hit on the roster, especially with SinBin Vegas reporting they’ve returned Callahan Burke to AHL Henderson today.
Saad gives the Golden Knights immediate top-nine help, and they’re hoping a rebound in shooting percentage accompanies his arrival. Amid trade rumors for a good portion of the season, his underwhelming start to the 2024-25 campaign with the Blues included a career-worst -14 rating and a 9.3% shooting rate that he’s only underperformed once. The seven-time 20-goal scorer only had seven tallies through 43 games as a result, production he’ll look to jumpstart in Vegas after posting 26 goals just one season ago.
The Knights were likely one of a few teams interested in acquiring Saad from St. Louis via trade but couldn’t work out a deal. He had one season left after this one on his previous contract with a $4.5MM cap hit. With that obstacle out of the way following his mutual termination, Saad gets a fresh start – albeit on a significant discount on his previous price point – and the Knights get their desired piece.
A strong finish to the season could allow Saad to recoup his lost market value on the open market this summer, potentially even sniffing his previous AAV on a short-term deal if he can prove he can still produce at a 20-goal pace.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Kevin Weekes of ESPN was first to report the Golden Knights were signing Saad.
Saad wanted to be on a contender & got his wish. Now comes the part where he showcases himself for the big FA payday next season.
Saad had every opportunity this season with the Blues, And he failed miserably, We shall see if he can turn it around.
Ahhh yes the dodgers of the NHL
Meaning, They will do what it takes to win!
It’s a sports page take your political crap somewhere else
Political? It’s a hockey page, take your baseball comments elsewhere!
At least NHL has a salary cap
@jdgoat
Not sure if a cap would help in the mlb, your still going to have the teams that try and win and those that just want that check and prestige of being a spots team owner. I see it in all the major sports.
Dude did the Blues a HUGE solid by agreeing to the termination. Even if he has the comeback year of years, there’s no way he gets as much money on his next contract. Maybe he’s one of those rare players that wants a ring over the money and didn’t see the Blues in that position. Good luck to him.
The Blues may load up at the deadline, And they have not yet placed Nick Leddy on LTIR.
He’s made 50 mil. Difference between 50 and 60 is change. Taxes blahblah. Clearly he’s an intelligent person. Probably invested ok. Winning is more fun.
spot on take of the situation
load up? No team missing the playoffs loads up.
Winning when you have your remaining years numbered is valid
When were the Blues eliminated? They also grabbed one of the top five coaches in the league early in the season.
I will go out in left field and say Saad will have a good playoffs with this team. Especially he gets some PP time.
Nice move by the Knights, as usual.