News Article: Bergevin said no thanks to Brandon Saad.

[Nynja*]

Or maybe bergevin felt Saad wasnt worth his inflated value due to getting spoonfed points by playing with Toews?

 

[Fish on The Sand]

Hell no.

Top 4 D > Top 6 forward.

It's not like Saad is a first line forward.

I'm not convinced that Beaulieu will develop enough offensively to be a true top 4 dman, while Saad is trending toward being a legit top line winger.

 

[Bryson]

I'm not convinced that Beaulieu will develop enough offensively to be a true top 4 dman, while Saad is trending toward being a legit top line winger.

I agree that Beaulieu's offensive game is the biggest disappointment considering many were slotting him in as Markov's eventual replacement. That being said, if Emelin and Gilbert are top 4 Dmen then so is Nathan. He's already playing like it and he's only 22. Actually I see him being more of a Petry type than a Markov, not a lot of offense but a lot of speed and skill.

 

[InglewoodJack]

I'm not convinced that Beaulieu will develop enough offensively to be a true top 4 dman, while Saad is trending toward being a legit top line winger.

I think at his prime (not age-wise, but skill-wise), Emelin is a top 4 defenceman. Are you saying that Beaulieu won't ever be as good as Emelin?

I definitely think he's very close to being a true top 4 dman. Whether he's one of the league's best 2nd pairing guys, I don't know, but he can hold his own with top 4 minutes.

I also agree that his offense is his most disappointing side, I was hoping he'd be a good PP guy. But even Markov only hit 40+ points at 27. At Beaulieu's age (Marov and Beaulieu are both born in December, so the comparison is even more apt!), Markov put up 25 points in 56 games (hadn't quite cracked the team yet, still in the AHL). I think that Beaulieu isn't that far off from that.

 

[Adriatic]

To me Beaulieu needs to get physically stronger. He's still very young and will improve for sure, I just want to see him get stronger. He's already a great skater so he can skate his way out of trouble most of the time. I just don't like how he gets so easily out muscled and knocked off the puck sometimes. Markov is a good example, he's no a giant by any mean but you can tell he's thick and when he plants he feet he's very tough to knock off and move. Beaulieu just needs to do some squats, get some thickness and he'll solid.

 

[Clumsyhab]

This was mentioned 2 weeks ago on TV. I think Lavoie is just reporting it.

 

[Sterling Archer]

Brandon must be Saad he wasn't traded to Montreal.

Had to make that pun. HAD TO!

 

[Runner77]

Brandon must be Saad he wasn't traded to Montreal.

Had to make that pun. HAD TO!

No you didn't. Not unless the pun is contained in a thread title featuring at least one spelling mistake.

 

[Teufelsdreck]

Chicago should have caled Boston about Saad. They could use him.

 

[Gyfu]

Chicago should have caled Boston about Saad. They could use him.

Not against you or anything but... who gives a **** about boston here?

 

[Fish on The Sand]

I think at his prime (not age-wise, but skill-wise), Emelin is a top 4 defenceman. Are you saying that Beaulieu won't ever be as good as Emelin?

I definitely think he's very close to being a true top 4 dman. Whether he's one of the league's best 2nd pairing guys, I don't know, but he can hold his own with top 4 minutes.

I also agree that his offense is his most disappointing side, I was hoping he'd be a good PP guy. But even Markov only hit 40+ points at 27. At Beaulieu's age (Marov and Beaulieu are both born in December, so the comparison is even more apt!), Markov put up 25 points in 56 games (hadn't quite cracked the team yet, still in the AHL). I think that Beaulieu isn't that far off from that.

Well let's put it this way. If Emelin is the bar, would you trade Emelin straight up for Saad? Of course you would.

 

[Mrb1p]

I'm not convinced that Beaulieu will develop enough offensively to be a true top 4 dman, while Saad is trending toward being a legit top line winger.

Petrys not a top 4 D?

 

[Nynja*]

Not against you or anything but... who gives a **** about boston here?

We all give a **** about laughing at the stupid stuff boston does. Boston would probably unload a first and two top players for Saad.

 

[Fish on The Sand]

Petrys not a top 4 D?

What does Petry have to do with this? Petry has proven he can reliably put up around 25 points while playing great in his own end. He's a clearly established top 4 dman. Beaulieu has thus far shown he can do nothing offensively.

I realize it is possible to be a top 4 dman while producing minimally offensively. We've seen it with someone like Gorges, however Gorges also was elite in his own end. Beaulieu while adequate in his own end is not good enough to be considered a top 4 dman given his offensive shortcomings.

Emelin I will admit is a top 4 dman, despite me saying earlier he wasn't. I was wrong on that. He produces consistently around 20-25 points per 82 games which is fine for a 2nd pairing dman while being good in his own zone. I suspect that Emelin is Beaulieu's maximum upside at this point in his career. He won't deliver the hard hits like Emelin but is a better skater. Surely anybody on this board would trade Emelin for Saad.

Saad meanwhile is the same age as Beaulieu and has already shown he can produce at a 50 point level. He's an established 2nd liner at this point, and could take the next step to a 70 point player and become a first liner in the next couple of years.

Beaulieu has only recently established himself as an NHL player and even then only as a bottom pairing guy. If given the option to trade him straight up for Saad you do it. I realize Beaulieu is the only young guy we have who could become a top 4 dman with Tinordi busting, Pateryn having limited upside, and Juulsen being too young to really predict how his career will turn out, however that's no reason not to take a good trade involving him if it presents itself.

Having said that, trading Beaulieu for Saad straight up was never an option. Galchenyuk would be a non-starter for me, and I'm sure management as well. Now if the trade was something else, let's say DLR and Beaulieu I would have pulled the trigger. I would have even considered our 1st in the last draft and Beaulieu.