Brandon Saad: Healthy Scratch

[I Hate Philadelphia]

2 assists in 5 GP.

Panarin for Saad not looking like the smartest move...

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[Foppberg]

Yikes... Man he has fallen hard.

 

[Satan]

Worst player in the league!

 

[KingsHockey24]

Man.. that's sad.

 

[Captain Mountain]

I do not understand what's happened to him at all.

 

[BruinsBtn]

Not exactly the strongest lineup of wingers either

 

[ElGuapo]

That's really Saad.

 

[Pens x]

Yea if he can’t crack that roster he might be playing in Europe soon.

 

[migi]

He looks disinterested. Like really disinterested.

 

[1865]

What's happened to him? Injury or lethargy?

 

[Falco Lombardi]

Yeah I was shocked how poorly he looked the other night.

 

[chethejet]

Not sure what the issue is. He has a great contract and in a great hockey environment. Love him on the Pens but that contract is simply a killer.

 

[Hattrick Kane]

We can start the bidding now if you guys like. I’m thinking a third round pick will suffice but I’m not unopposed to a fourth round pick.

 

[No Fun Shogun]

For what it's worth, the next game isn't until Thursday, so not necessarily a sign that he's definitely on the outs for the next game, but a message being sent is the M.O. for almost any coach for a well-paid player not being remotely up to snuff, so whether this extends to being benched for a game is yet to be seen. Q was notably peeved at his performance in the last game, though.

 

[Filthy Dangles]

 

[Shakey Rustie]

Again, what is wrong with a healthy scratch?

 

[CallMeShaft]

Admittedly, his advanced stats last year were near the top of the league and he looked decent, but points were just hard to come by for him.

But the past few weeks (regular and preseason games) he's looked like nothing more than a bottom 6 guy. It might not be an injury, but he is playing like someone who is injured.

He needs to be better because Toews, Kane, and DeBrincat can't score all our goals.

 

[The Abusement Park]

Man.. that's sad.

*Saad.

 

[Phil McKraken]

His whole family must be Saad right now.

 

[Section88]

Frustrating to say the least

 

[The Burdened]

this is why you don't let your players make your personnel decisions for you.

 

[hotcabbagesoup]

Again, what is wrong with a healthy scratch?

There are a whopping 82 games in the season. There should be nothing wrong with a healthy scratch. Wingers play only about 25% of the game anyways so it's not like you're sitting a McDavid here.

 

[sufferer]

this is why you don't let your players make your personnel decisions for you.

#intangibles

 

[HockeyAnalystGenius]

Sounds like if you lived in Brandon (Matinoba) you would be "Saad" for the Cold Winter coming on and need to Scratch at your wood to burn.

 

[tmg]

There are a whopping 82 games in the season. There should be nothing wrong with a healthy scratch.

But teams make and miss the playoffs by a single point, so every one of those 82 games matters, and the coach wants to put out the best group of 12 forwards he can for each game to maximize chances of winning. And it's noteworthy if Saad has fallen from a player who was, night after night for years, a lock to be in a team's top 12 forwards if healthy, to a player who now has nights where he's not in the top 12 of a seemingly weaker lineup.