The Chicago Blackhawks have a gem in Brandon Saad.
The second-round steal in the 2011 NHL entry draft has slowly grown into a solid rookie.
After a slow start to the 2013 season, in terms of his offensive production anyways, Saad should now be mentioned as a front-runner in the race to win the Calder Trophy.
After playing in two games for the Blackhawks the year he was drafted, the team decided one more year in junior with the Saginaw Spirit would be best for his overall development.
They were right.
With the Spirit, in 2011-12, Saad blossomed, scoring 34 goals and adding another 42 assists in only 44 games.
With the first half of this NHL season postponed due to the lockout, Saad's appearance with the Blackhawks was put on hold. Instead, he spent 31 games with the Rockford Icehogs.
It gave Saad time to adjust to the speed of professional hockey, albeit one level from the top, play against NHL-caliber players who called the league home because of the lockout and was also able to build up his confidence so he could become a significant part of the Blackhawks.
Saad's first full (or tec ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Taylor O. Giffin
Brandon Saad: Calder Trophy Race Should Involve Chicago Blackhawks Rookie
March 12th, 2013 by Taylor O. Giffin Leave a reply »
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