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Blackhawks prospect Brandon Saad makes case to stay at NHL level

Brandon Saad, Jonathan Toews, Viktor Stalberg

Chicago Blackhawks’ Brandon Saad (43) celebrates with Jonathan Toews (19) and Viktor Stalberg (25) after Saad scoring the game winning goal during the third period of an NHL preseason hockey game against the Washington Capitals in Chicago, Friday, Sept. 23, 2011. The Blackhawks won 3-2. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

AP

The Chicago Blackhawks’ 2010 Stanley Cup run was built on a foundation of strong draft picks. Many of those stars made an immediate impact in the NHL, too, as the team’s fortunes began to change when Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews made their rookie debuts in 2007-08.

With that in mind, the team should be among the league’s most open-minded organizations when it comes to embracing an ahead-of-schedule youngster. That being said, it’s still surprising that 2011 second round pick Brandon Saad is making such a preseason impact.

Saad performed well enough to earn his fourth preseason start (coming up Sunday against the Detroit Red Wings), after he teamed up with Viktor Stalberg and Jonathan Toews for an explosive third period on Friday. He even scored the game-winner against the Washington Capitals to make it 3-2.

Naturally, there’s a huge difference between carving up defenses in exhibition games and making an NHL team as an 18-year-old player - let alone continuing that scoring pace in the big time. Saad wasn’t even the team’s first second round pick in 2011, as the team bagged four prospects in the draft’s first two rounds:

Mark McNeill (round 1, 18th overall)
Phillip Danault (round 1, 26)
Adam Clendening (round 2, 36)
Sadd (round 2, 43)

Saad’s first impression caught some off guard, but he’s running with his chance to do so. CSNChicago.com’s Tracey Myers asked Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville about Saad’s impressive start.

Still, nobody quite expected the Blackhawks’ second-round draft pick to have this much of an impact this quickly. The question is, can he really make this Blackhawks team?

“I don’t know. If he keeps doing that way every day we’ll probably be talking about him the next day,” said Quenneville on Friday, after Saad’s goal claimed a 3-2 Blackhawks victory over the Washington Capitals. “This is not something we envisioned. But every training camp there’s someone who gets your attention and captures it, makes you look at the case differently. He’s done that.”


Of course, if he does make the team, it’s unlikely that he’ll see much time alongside 2010 Conn Smythe Trophy-winner Toews on the first line. All he can do is put himself in the best position to succeed, though, whether he ends up on the team’s opening night roster or at the junior level with Saginaw.
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