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Saad - Amazing.

Hawksfan2828

Registered User
Mar 1, 2007
13,437
15
Libertyville, IL
For his age the kid knows know to play hockey... I suspect Toews is doing a lot of teaching....

The kid is young - what 20? and is trying things I have only seen Mario Lemiux/Lindros try (given his size) yet has the confidence in himself to try those ideas and it' pays off despite the skill he may not have compared to the aforementioned...

IMO, Saad is the next Toews (maybe not the leader he is) but is being groomed to be the player he is at the NHL level (maybe even the leader)....

The kid knows how to make plays and is smart, not to mention he has no problem grinding for pucks and winning battles on the boards.....He's an old school true hockey player - he does what he needs to do weather it's a pass or taking a 2 in the box.... The kid has skills...

Definitely a steal in the 2nd... I would have taken him in the 1st...
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RFIP

RFIP

I LOVE CRAWFORD!
Mar 6, 2011
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Turned 21 in October (born October 27, 1992) but otherwise, point taken.
 

BronYrAur

Registered User
Nov 29, 2011
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He doesn't have the elite skill of Toews. But he definitely seemed to benefit enormously from playing with 81 and 19 last year.
 

rick hawk

Registered User
Apr 9, 2004
1,173
2
Hawksfan2828 said:
For his age the kid knows know to play hockey... I suspect Toews is doing a lot of teaching....

The kid is young - what 20? and is trying things I have only seen Mario Lemiux/Lindros try (given his size) yet has the confidence in himself to try those ideas and it' pays off despite the skill he may not have compared to the aforementioned...

IMO, Saad is the next Toews (maybe not the leader he is) but is being groomed to be the player he is at the NHL level (maybe even the leader)....

The kid knows how to make plays and is smart, not to mention he has no problem grinding for pucks and winning battles on the boards.....He's an old school true hockey player - he does what he needs to do weather it's a pass or taking a 2 in the box.... The kid has skills...


The kids(s) that do well are a result of Toews teaching?? What about those that don't do well? Who is teaching them? Handzus? You would have picked him in the first round? I suspect a lot of people would do that now. I'm not sure many would have done it at the time when was coming off a lousy draft year.
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moose vasko

Registered User
Mar 3, 2011
710
8
Wasn't the scouting knock on Saad that he was lazy, distinterested, lacked intensity at times or something like that? Were they talking about the same guy?
 

rick hawk

Registered User
Apr 9, 2004
1,173
2
He didn't meet expectations in his draft year. Going into the year he had been highly rated.
We find out later that it was probably injury related. However, its not usually a good sign when a prospect takes a step back. The fact that no team took him in the first round is an indication of that.
 

Cullksinikers

Registered User
Aug 20, 2009
15,292
93
'Merica
moose vasko said:
Wasn't the scouting knock on Saad that he was lazy, distinterested, lacked intensity at times or something like that? Were they talking about the same guy?
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This is true, and the truth is that he was battling a groin injury and wasn't producing the same because of it. Due to the dip in productivity offensively, scouts tried to rationalize what was going on without having all the facts. I'm glad the scouts did that. We got ourselves a player, eh?
 
EbonyRaptor

EbonyRaptor

Registered User
Jul 10, 2009
7,261
3,151
Geezerville
I'm a big Saad fan and I'm happy with his game and happy the Hawks have him - but he isn't in the same stratosphere as Toews. Aside from not being a Selke calibre center, his skills as a winger are all at least a notch below Toews. Toews is one of the best puck hunters in the league because he has the combination of hands, strength and tenacity that allows him to get the puck and keep the puck along the boards and then to make plays. There are few that are as good at that than Toews and the Hawks have another one in that same category with Hossa. Saad is still too easily knocked off the puck or he doesn't keep control of the puck well enough and he loses control of it.

I can see Saad maybe becoming a 60 point player - which would be great - but coming nowhere near Toews potential ceiling which is in the 85-90 point range.
 

Nothingman*

Guest
EbonyRaptor said:
I'm a big Saad fan and I'm happy with his game and happy the Hawks have him - but he isn't in the same stratosphere as Toews. Aside from not being a Selke calibre center, his skills as a winger are all at least a notch below Toews. Toews is one of the best puck hunters in the league because he has the combination of hands, strength and tenacity that allows him to get the puck and keep the puck along the boards and then to make plays. There are few that are as good at that than Toews and the Hawks have another one in that same category with Hossa. Saad is still too easily knocked off the puck or he doesn't keep control of the puck well enough and he loses control of it.

I can see Saad maybe becoming a 60 point player - which would be great - but coming nowhere near Toews potential ceiling which is in the 85-90 point range.
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I will take that with PK and PP duties built in. He is a mini-Hossa. So strong on the puck.
 
Kaner Coffee

Kaner Coffee

Anna for Hart Trophy
Jul 2, 2011
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0
Chicago
moose vasko said:
Wasn't the scouting knock on Saad that he was lazy, distinterested, lacked intensity at times or something like that? Were they talking about the same guy?
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It's entirely possible the those reports were correct. Perhaps he's matured since he was a teenager. Or perhaps the people who said those negative things about Saad were wrong. IDK.
 
HockeySauce

HockeySauce

Registered User
Jan 26, 2011
16,349
759
Saad has played the way he's played in the NHL since he was in Junior. He's just a very good hockey player.
 
massivegoonery

massivegoonery

Registered User
Jul 31, 2007
11,773
8
Chicago
Kaner Coffee said:
It's entirely possible the those reports were correct. Perhaps he's matured since he was a teenager. Or perhaps the people who said those negative things about Saad were wrong. IDK.
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I didn't get to see him much in the CHL, but I got to see him play for the USNTDP a bunch, and he played basically like he plays now.
 

Hawksfan2828

Registered User
Mar 1, 2007
13,437
15
Libertyville, IL
I wasn't even comparing present day Saad to present day Toews - I was pointing out that I see a similarity in their games and that one day Saad could be as good as Toews if he works hard, because he has that potential to be a player like him....

The kid has the offensive instinct as Toews, has a similar hockey IQ, Knows to use his body like Toews when battling in the corners and where the puck goes after he wins a battle....

Did you see that pass he made to Shaw last night on Shaws goal?? that was just siccness and skill...

And this kid is only going to get better with time and experience....

This kid is going to be a really good hockey player in the future (top 6/top 3 power forward)...

Certainly a player most GM's will shoot themselves in the foot for not taking...

At the same time playing on the Blackhawks has really boosted his game - because he can play his game here in Chicago and the chemistry/on ice support is there for his offensive game.

In short Saad is presently in an atmosphere where he can thrive, and that will only help him along with his game and confidence over the next several seasons.
 
BobbyJet

BobbyJet

watch the game, everything else is noise
Oct 27, 2010
29,870
9,898
Dundas, Ontario. Can
HockeySensible said:
Saad has played the way he's played in the NHL since he was in Junior. He's just a very good hockey player.
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He was also a man playing against boys in his latter days in Junior. Perhaps he got a bit bored and developed a few bad habits as a result (ie. floating a bit) ... or was he protecting himself after being injured by being tentative? Who knows, but sure glad we got him. I couldn't imagine this current team without Saad on it.
 
pvr

pvr

Leather Skates
Jan 22, 2008
4,707
2,107
Hawksfan2828 said:
For his age the kid knows know to play hockey... I suspect Toews is doing a lot of teaching....

The kid is young - what 20? and is trying things I have only seen Mario Lemiux/Lindros try (given his size) yet has the confidence in himself to try those ideas and it' pays off despite the skill he may not have compared to the aforementioned...

IMO, Saad is the next Toews (maybe not the leader he is) but is being groomed to be the player he is at the NHL level (maybe even the leader)....

The kid knows how to make plays and is smart, not to mention he has no problem grinding for pucks and winning battles on the boards.....He's an old school true hockey player - he does what he needs to do weather it's a pass or taking a 2 in the box.... The kid has skills...

Definitely a steal in the 2nd... I would have taken him in the 1st...
Click to expand...

Brandon Saad isn't that big. He's listed at 6'1" and 202#. Even if he's a tad bigger/heavier, it's still not huge in today's NHL.

Also, he's nowhere near the talent of Lemieux (6'4"/200#) or Eric Lindros (6'4"230#) (stats from Hockey Database), not even close to the puck skills of Lemieux, and is a mere puppy compared to the size, nastiness and skill of Lindros. There are many players who possess the basic skills of Saad.

However, what does set him apart right now is his acumen for the game at a young age. He's in the right position to disrupt plays (something that was evident in Rockford last year), he hustles, backchecks, and just seems to play the game the *right* way. If anything, he looks more like Hossa to me, without the scoring. Now only if his offense and goal scoring would increase a bit, well then...
 

Hawksfan2828

Registered User
Mar 1, 2007
13,437
15
Libertyville, IL
pvr said:
Brandon Saad isn't that big. He's listed at 6'1" and 202#. Even if he's a tad bigger/heavier, it's still not huge in today's NHL.

Also, he's nowhere near the talent of Lemieux (6'4"/200#) or Eric Lindros (6'4"230#) (stats from Hockey Database), not even close to the puck skills of Lemieux, and is a mere puppy compared to the size, nastiness and skill of Lindros. There are many players who possess the basic skills of Saad.

However, what does set him apart right now is his acumen for the game at a young age. He's in the right position to disrupt plays (something that was evident in Rockford last year), he hustles, backchecks, and just seems to play the game the *right* way. If anything, he looks more like Hossa to me, without the scoring. Now only if his offense and goal scoring would increase a bit, well then...
Click to expand...

I don't think what guys are "listed as" as far as height and weight are accurate.... Especially when you have a kid like Saad who is still growing.

Saad is probably 6-2 or 6-3 220......

I've met a lot of players (in many sports) and they're advertised a lot bigger or smaller then they actually are.
 
Hawkaholic

Hawkaholic

Registered User
Dec 19, 2006
31,622
10,972
London, Ont.
BobbyJet said:
He was also a man playing against boys in his latter days in Junior. Perhaps he got a bit bored and developed a few bad habits as a result (ie. floating a bit) ... or was he protecting himself after being injured by being tentative? Who knows, but sure glad we got him. I couldn't imagine this current team without Saad on it.
Click to expand...

It would probably look like the team with Brunette on it a couple years back, maybe slightly better.
 
HockeySauce

HockeySauce

Registered User
Jan 26, 2011
16,349
759
BobbyJet said:
He was also a man playing against boys in his latter days in Junior. Perhaps he got a bit bored and developed a few bad habits as a result (ie. floating a bit) ... or was he protecting himself after being injured by being tentative? Who knows, but sure glad we got him. I couldn't imagine this current team without Saad on it.
Click to expand...

I don't think Saad ever plays "tentative". I think he's smart. He's aware positionally; he takes away passing lanes and he's always in position to make or disrupt a play. I think a lot of scouts wanted more snarl out of Saad in Junior, but that wasn't/isn't his game. He can throw his weight around, but his physical game comes more from puck protection, winning battles, being strong on the puck and not dishing out massive hits.
 
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