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Brandon Saad

#20 · Left wing · Free agent, last with the Vegas Golden Knights

Born Oct 27, 1992 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA · 6'1", 207 lb · Shoots left · Drafted 43rd overall in 2011 by CHI (round 2)

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Compare with a similar player

The forwards closest to him in points in 2012-13. Pick one to see the two side by side, or choose someone else.

Mark Letestu CBJ · 27 P in 46 GP Milan Lucic BOS · 27 P in 46 GP Jannik Hansen VAN · 27 P in 47 GP Marian Gaborik CBJ · 27 P in 47 GP Saku Koivu ANA · 27 P in 47 GP

Career

Regular season games only. Pick a season to see its game log below. Cap hit is what he counted against the salary cap that season, where it is known.

020402011-12: 0 points011-122012-13: 27 points272013-14: 47 points4713-142014-15: 52 points522015-16: 53 points5315-162016-17: 53 points532017-18: 35 points3517-182018-19: 47 points472019-20: 33 points3319-202020-21: 24 points242021-22: 49 points4921-222022-23: 37 points372023-24: 42 points4223-242024-25: 30 points302025-26: 9 points925-26

Points by season. The darker bar is the season shown below.

Season Team GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP Cap hit
2011-12 CHI 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0.00 $795K
2012-13 CHI 46 10 17 27 17 12 98 41 0.59 $764K
2013-14 CHI 78 19 28 47 20 20 159 48 0.60 $764K
2014-15 CHI 82 23 29 52 7 12 203 53 0.63 $764K
2015-16 CBJ 78 31 22 53 1 14 233 43 0.68 $6M
2016-17 CBJ 82 24 29 53 23 8 210 24 0.65 $6M
2017-18 CHI 82 18 17 35 -10 14 237 29 0.43 $6M
2018-19 CHI 80 23 24 47 -9 12 195 52 0.59 $6M
2019-20 CHI 58 21 12 33 2 16 140 36 0.57 $6M
2020-21 COL 44 15 9 24 1 12 68 16 0.55 $6M
2021-22 STL 78 24 25 49 11 10 158 20 0.63 $4.5M
2022-23 STL 71 19 18 37 -8 12 127 24 0.52 $4.5M
2023-24 STL 82 26 16 42 -4 20 144 17 0.51 $4.5M
2024-25 STL 43 7 9 16 -14 6 75 7 0.37 $1.5M
2024-25 VGK 29 6 8 14 6 0 52 5 0.48
2025-26 VGK 49 3 6 9 -7 14 78 11 0.18 $2M
15 seasons Career 984 269 269 538 36 182 2180 426 0.55

Playoffs

Playoff games only. Pick a season to see that year's bracket.

Season Team GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP
2011-12 CHI 2 0 1 1 2 0 0 4 0.50
2012-13 CHI 23 1 5 6 -1 4 50 30 0.26
2013-14 CHI 19 6 10 16 10 6 35 24 0.84
2014-15 CHI 23 8 3 11 5 6 59 46 0.48
2016-17 CBJ 5 1 2 3 -5 0 10 6 0.60
2019-20 CHI 9 2 3 5 2 2 20 8 0.56
2020-21 COL 10 7 1 8 3 12 19 15 0.80
2021-22 STL 12 2 3 5 1 4 23 6 0.42
2024-25 VGK 8 0 2 2 0 2 13 7 0.25
2025-26 VGK 5 0 2 2 0 0 5 3 0.40
10 seasons Playoffs 116 27 32 59 17 36 234 149 0.51

2012-13 season totals

GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP Shooting % Avg TOI
46 10 17 27 17 12 98 41 0.59 10.2 16:28

Contract

$764KCap hitends in 2015, then RFA
$28KCap dollars per point27 points in 46 games
$83KCap dollars per goal above replacement9.2 goals above replacement
$8.5MWorth at the going ratewhat teams paid for a season like his
+$7.8MValueworth minus cap hit; below zero is overpaid

His cap hit for the whole season, set against what he did in the regular season. Lower is better value. In a season still being played the cost per point starts high and falls as the games add up. Value is coloured by where it ranks among the 558 ranked skaters whose contract is known. How value is worked out.

The contract

Signed by the Chicago Blackhawks on Oct 5, 2011, as an entry-level contract: 3 years and $2.775M, beginning in 2012-13. It runs through 2014-15, with 2 seasons left after this one, and he is then a restricted free agent.

Season Cap hit Base salary Signing bonus Performance bonuses Paid in all Clause
2012-13 $764K $525K $93K $308K $618K
2013-14 $764K $750K $93K $83K $843K
2014-15 $764K $833K $0 $833K

Each season of the contract, with this one marked. The cap hit is the same every year; what he is paid is not. The pay is as written when the contract was recorded in October 2024, so a later change, such as the rise in the lowest salary for 2026-27, is not shown.

Contracts he has signed

Signed Signed by Kind Seasons Years In all Cap hit
2025-26 to 2025-26 $2M
Jan 31, 2025 Vegas Golden Knights New contract 2024-25 to 2024-25 1 $1.5M $1.5M
Jul 29, 2021 St. Louis Blues New contract 2021-22 to 2025-26 5 $22.5M $4.5M
Jul 3, 2015 Columbus Blue Jackets New contract 2015-16 to 2020-21 6 $36M $6M
Oct 5, 2011 Chicago Blackhawks Entry-level 2012-13 to 2014-15 signed for 2011-12, slid 3 $2.775M $764K

Every contract on record for him, newest first, with the team that signed him to it and the day it was signed. The one covering 2012-13 is marked. An extension is signed while the contract before it is still running, often a year ahead. A row with no team or date is a contract known only by its cap hit, most often one signed since October 2024.

2012-13 analytics

Regular season Playoffs

Rating

+9.2Goals above replacement18th of 605 skaters, 18th of 397 forwards
+1.5Wins above replacementgoals above replacement divided by six
+7.2Goals above averagethe five parts below added up

Each number is coloured by where it ranks among the 397 ranked forwards: green is in the top fifth and red the bottom fifth, with paler shades in between and amber for the middle. Hover over a tile for its percentile.

Even-strength offence+4.5 93rd percentileEven-strength defence+1.8 94th percentilePower play-1.0 2nd percentilePenalty kill+0.4 92nd percentilePenalties+1.4 93rd percentile

The goals he added to his team's goal difference, compared with a spare-part player given the same ice time. Each part is measured against the league, so zero is an average skater, and the rank beside it is among forwards. A full season is about two-thirds the player and one-third chance. Before 2023-24 the NHL timed events less exactly, and differently from rink to rink, so expected goals for this season are rougher than for recent ones.

-50510152011-122013-142015-162017-182019-202021-222023-242025-26Goals above replacementGoals above replacement, by season

On the ice

What happened at five-on-five while he was on the ice. What these numbers mean

57.2Corsi for %603 attempts for, 451 against
+3.8CF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
62.1Expected goals for %28.9 expected for, 17.6 against
+11.0xGF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
58.4Fenwick for %unblocked attempts
68.8Goals for %33 for, 15 against
103.3PDO9.3% shooting + 94.0% saves
131Attempts takenhis own shot attempts

Each share is coloured by where it ranks among the 578 skaters who played enough to be ranked: green is in the top fifth and red the bottom fifth, with paler shades in between and amber for the middle. Hover over a tile for its percentile. PDO and attempts taken are left plain, since neither is good or bad on its own.

Who he played with

Forward lineGPTimeCF%xGF%Goals
Marian Hossa · Jonathan Toews · Brandon Saad39374:4860.263.518-7
Michael Frolik · Jonathan Toews · Brandon Saad1056:5160.266.47-3
Jonathan Toews · Patrick Kane · Brandon Saad2143:4550.056.26-2
Dave Bolland · Patrick Kane · Brandon Saad1611:0750.051.00-3

The lines he spent the most time in at five-on-five, with the team's share of the shot attempts and expected goals, and the goals for and against, while they were out. The two shares are coloured as above, against the league's lines that played a fair amount together. Hover over one for its percentile.

Chances and finishing

Expected goals adds up how likely each of his shots was to go in, judged by where it came from, what kind of shot it was and whether it was a rebound. All situations, leaving out shots at an empty net. Before 2023-24 the NHL timed events less exactly, and differently from rink to rink, so expected goals for this season are rougher than for recent ones.

10Goalsnot counting empty-netters
10.3Expected goalsfrom 130 unblocked attempts
-0.3Goals above expectedgoals minus expected goals
Chances created 0.81 expected goals per 60 minutes72nd
Shot quality 7.9% chance per attempt67th
Finishing -0.3 goals above expected50thOne season of finishing is mostly luck.

Each bar shows the share of forwards he is ahead of, among the 355 who played 300 minutes or more this season.

0510Game 20Game 40Expected 10.3Goals 10

His goals and his expected goals as the season went on. When the goals line pulls away above, he is scoring more than his chances were worth; below, less.

Where he shot from

Every attempt he took this season, in all situations, attacking the net on the right. Darker red means more attempts from that spot, and each dot is a goal. "Show every shot" switches to a dot for each attempt, bigger for a better chance. Click a goal for its details.

Game log

Date Opponent Result G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits TOI
Apr 26, 2013 vs CGY W 3-1 0 1 1 1 0 3 1 15:21
Apr 24, 2013 @ EDM W 4-1 0 1 1 1 2 1 0 16:09
Apr 22, 2013 @ VAN L 1-3 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 20:31
Apr 20, 2013 vs PHX L 2-3 (SO) 0 0 0 -1 2 6 2 18:55
Apr 19, 2013 vs NSH W 5-4 (OT) 1 0 1 0 0 4 2 16:01
Apr 15, 2013 vs DAL W 5-2 0 1 1 2 0 1 2 17:22
Apr 14, 2013 @ STL W 2-0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 18:58
Apr 12, 2013 vs DET W 3-2 (SO) 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 17:25
Apr 9, 2013 @ MIN W 1-0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 18:53
Apr 7, 2013 vs NSH W 5-3 1 1 2 1 0 3 1 19:07
Apr 6, 2013 @ NSH W 1-0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 18:00
Apr 4, 2013 vs STL L 3-4 (SO) 1 0 1 1 0 5 1 19:08
Apr 1, 2013 vs NSH W 3-2 (SO) 1 0 1 1 0 2 2 20:51
Mar 31, 2013 @ DET W 7-1 2 1 3 3 0 4 1 14:28
Mar 29, 2013 vs ANA L 1-2 0 0 0 -1 0 2 0 21:01
Mar 26, 2013 vs CGY W 2-0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 20:23
Mar 25, 2013 vs LAK L 4-5 0 1 1 0 0 1 2 20:16
Mar 20, 2013 @ ANA L 2-4 0 1 1 -1 0 2 0 16:29
Mar 18, 2013 @ COL W 5-2 0 1 1 2 0 3 1 17:21
Mar 16, 2013 @ DAL W 8-1 0 2 2 2 0 2 1 18:21
Mar 14, 2013 @ CBJ W 2-1 (SO) 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 17:29
Mar 10, 2013 vs EDM L 5-6 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 18:07
Mar 8, 2013 @ COL L 2-6 0 1 1 0 0 5 0 16:50
Mar 6, 2013 vs COL W 3-2 0 1 1 0 0 2 0 21:57
Mar 5, 2013 vs MIN W 5-3 1 2 3 3 0 1 2 16:13
Mar 3, 2013 @ DET W 2-1 (SO) 0 0 0 0 0 5 1 15:48
Mar 1, 2013 vs CBJ W 4-3 (OT) 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 15:21
Feb 28, 2013 @ STL W 3-0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 13:20
Feb 25, 2013 vs EDM W 3-2 (OT) 0 0 0 0 4 1 1 12:20
Feb 24, 2013 vs CBJ W 1-0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 16:00
Feb 22, 2013 vs SJS W 2-1 1 0 1 1 0 1 3 14:57
Feb 19, 2013 vs VAN W 4-3 (SO) 0 0 0 -1 0 2 0 17:00
Feb 17, 2013 vs LAK W 3-2 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 15:34
Feb 15, 2013 vs SJS W 4-1 0 0 0 -1 0 1 1 15:49
Feb 12, 2013 vs ANA L 2-3 (SO) 1 0 1 1 0 6 0 14:34
Feb 10, 2013 @ NSH W 3-0 0 0 0 0 0 4 1 15:15
Feb 7, 2013 @ PHX W 6-2 0 0 0 1 2 1 0 12:55
Feb 5, 2013 @ SJS W 5-3 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 13:41
Feb 2, 2013 @ CGY W 3-2 (SO) 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 16:24
Feb 1, 2013 @ VAN L 1-2 (SO) 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 14:55
Jan 30, 2013 @ MIN L 2-3 (SO) 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 13:46
Jan 27, 2013 vs DET W 2-1 (OT) 0 0 0 -1 0 1 1 11:59
Jan 26, 2013 @ CBJ W 3-2 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 11:50
Jan 24, 2013 @ DAL W 3-2 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 5 1 12:54
Jan 22, 2013 vs STL W 3-2 0 0 0 -1 0 1 1 13:44
Jan 20, 2013 @ PHX W 6-4 0 0 0 1 0 2 1 13:31