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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 2022-23. Pick one to see the two side by side, or choose someone else.

Teuvo Teravainen CAR · 37 P in 68 GP Jack Quinn BUF · 37 P in 75 GP Taylor Raddysh CHI · 37 P in 78 GP Conor Sheary WSH · 37 P in 82 GP Ryan Hartman MIN · 37 P in 59 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

2022-23 season totals

GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP Shooting % Avg TOI
71 19 18 37 -8 12 127 24 0.52 15.0 16:39

Contract

$4.5MCap hitends in 2026, then UFA
$122KCap dollars per point37 points in 71 games
$1.441MCap dollars per goal above replacement3.1 goals above replacement
$3MWorth at the going ratewhat teams paid for a season like his
-$1.5MValueworth 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 695 ranked skaters whose contract is known. How value is worked out.

The contract

Signed by the St. Louis Blues on Jul 29, 2021, as a new contract: 5 years and $22.5M, beginning in 2021-22. It runs through 2025-26, with 3 seasons left after this one, and he is then an unrestricted free agent.

Season Cap hit Base salary Signing bonus Performance bonuses Paid in all Clause
2021-22 $4.5M $4.5M $0 $4.5M NTC
2022-23 $4.5M $4.5M $0 $4.5M NTC
2023-24 $4.5M $5.5M $0 $5.5M NTC

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 2022-23 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.

2022-23 analytics

Rating

+3.1Goals above replacement304th of 696 skaters, 213th of 461 forwards
+0.5Wins above replacementgoals above replacement divided by six
-0.1Goals above averagethe five parts below added up

Each number is coloured by where it ranks among the 461 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+1.6 69th percentileEven-strength defence-1.0 27th percentilePower play-1.3 4th percentilePenalty kill-0.1 24th percentilePenalties+0.6 64th 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

46.8Corsi for %826 attempts for, 939 against
+1.7CF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
47.3Expected goals for %38.4 expected for, 42.8 against
+2.0xGF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
46.9Fenwick for %unblocked attempts
46.6Goals for %41 for, 47 against
99.6PDO9.0% shooting + 90.7% saves
156Attempts takenhis own shot attempts

Each share is coloured by where it ranks among the 613 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
Ryan O'Reilly · Josh Leivo · Brandon Saad20172:5150.649.110-11
Brayden Schenn · Brandon Saad · Jordan Kyrou1795:0242.237.12-5
Brayden Schenn · Brandon Saad · Ivan Barbashev881:1240.545.63-6
Brandon Saad · Jordan Kyrou · Robert Thomas1374:2058.852.63-3

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.

17Goalsnot counting empty-netters
14.3Expected goalsfrom 165 unblocked attempts
+2.7Goals above expectedgoals minus expected goals
Chances created 0.72 expected goals per 60 minutes42nd
Shot quality 8.6% chance per attempt68th
Finishing +2.7 goals above expected78thOne season of finishing is mostly luck.

Each bar shows the share of forwards he is ahead of, among the 446 who played 300 minutes or more this season.

051015Game 20Game 40Game 60Goals 17Expected 14.3

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 13, 2023 @ DAL L 0-1 0 0 0 -1 0 1 0 14:21
Apr 12, 2023 vs DAL L 2-5 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 13:21
Apr 8, 2023 @ MIN L 3-5 0 0 0 -1 0 4 0 15:08
Apr 6, 2023 vs NYR W 3-2 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 15:11
Apr 4, 2023 vs PHI W 4-2 0 1 1 1 0 2 0 16:32
Apr 2, 2023 vs BOS L 3-4 (SO) 0 2 2 2 4 1 0 17:13
Apr 1, 2023 @ NSH L 1-6 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 16:06
Mar 30, 2023 @ CHI W 5-3 1 1 2 2 0 2 0 19:33
Mar 28, 2023 vs VAN W 6-5 (OT) 0 2 2 1 0 1 1 16:43
Mar 26, 2023 @ LAK L 6-7 1 0 1 -3 0 2 0 16:21
Mar 25, 2023 @ ANA W 6-3 0 0 0 3 0 1 0 14:45
Mar 23, 2023 @ DET W 4-3 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 16:27
Mar 21, 2023 vs DET L 2-3 (SO) 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 18:50
Mar 19, 2023 vs WPG W 3-0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 19:29
Mar 17, 2023 @ WSH W 5-2 0 2 2 3 0 2 0 15:17
Mar 15, 2023 vs MIN L 5-8 0 0 0 -2 0 4 0 15:19
Mar 12, 2023 vs VGK L 3-5 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 15:35
Mar 11, 2023 @ CBJ W 5-2 1 1 2 2 0 1 0 14:27
Mar 9, 2023 vs SJS W 4-2 0 1 1 0 0 2 0 15:43
Mar 7, 2023 @ ARI L 2-6 0 0 0 -2 0 1 1 13:44
Mar 4, 2023 @ LAK L 2-4 0 1 1 1 0 2 0 18:14
Mar 2, 2023 @ SJS W 6-3 0 0 0 -2 0 2 1 16:19
Feb 28, 2023 vs SEA L 3-5 1 0 1 -1 0 1 1 17:43
Feb 25, 2023 vs PIT L 2-3 (OT) 0 0 0 -1 0 1 0 16:32
Feb 23, 2023 vs VAN L 2-3 (OT) 0 0 0 -1 0 1 0 17:00
Feb 14, 2023 vs FLA W 6-2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 09:32
Feb 11, 2023 vs ARI W 6-5 (OT) 1 0 1 0 0 2 0 17:13
Jan 30, 2023 @ WPG L 2-4 0 0 0 -1 0 2 2 17:40
Jan 28, 2023 @ COL L 2-4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 21:12
Jan 26, 2023 @ ARI L 0-5 0 0 0 -2 0 0 2 18:54
Jan 24, 2023 vs BUF L 3-5 0 1 1 0 0 2 0 17:10
Jan 21, 2023 vs CHI L 3-5 0 0 0 -1 0 1 0 16:13
Jan 19, 2023 vs NSH W 5-2 1 1 2 2 0 2 0 16:11
Jan 16, 2023 vs OTT W 2-1 0 0 0 -1 0 2 0 17:12
Jan 14, 2023 vs TBL L 2-4 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 18:44
Jan 12, 2023 vs CGY L 1-4 0 0 0 -1 0 3 0 16:22
Jan 10, 2023 vs CGY W 4-3 (OT) 0 0 0 -2 0 0 0 17:46
Jan 8, 2023 @ MIN W 3-0 1 1 2 1 0 3 0 18:40
Jan 7, 2023 @ MTL L 4-5 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 17:52
Jan 5, 2023 @ NJD W 5-3 1 1 2 1 0 4 0 16:48
Jan 3, 2023 @ TOR W 6-5 (SO) 2 0 2 0 0 3 0 18:22
Dec 31, 2022 vs MIN L 2-5 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 15:53
Dec 29, 2022 vs CHI W 3-1 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 15:10
Dec 27, 2022 vs TOR L 4-5 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 14:28
Dec 23, 2022 @ VGK L 4-5 (SO) 0 1 1 0 2 3 0 20:28
Dec 20, 2022 @ SEA L 2-5 0 0 0 -3 0 2 1 16:59
Dec 19, 2022 @ VAN W 5-1 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 17:55
Dec 16, 2022 @ CGY W 5-2 1 0 1 0 0 2 0 17:51
Dec 15, 2022 @ EDM W 4-3 (SO) 0 0 0 -1 0 3 0 17:55
Dec 12, 2022 vs NSH W 1-0 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 18:39
Dec 11, 2022 vs COL L 2-3 (OT) 1 0 1 1 0 3 0 16:40
Dec 8, 2022 vs WPG L 2-5 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 15:49
Dec 6, 2022 @ NYI W 7-4 0 1 1 2 0 0 1 14:14
Dec 5, 2022 @ NYR L 4-6 0 0 0 -1 0 1 1 14:40
Dec 3, 2022 @ PIT L 2-6 0 0 0 -1 0 3 1 16:10
Dec 1, 2022 vs CAR L 4-6 0 0 0 -1 0 0 1 19:34
Nov 28, 2022 vs DAL L 1-4 1 0 1 1 0 4 0 17:39
Nov 26, 2022 @ FLA W 5-4 (OT) 1 1 2 0 0 4 1 18:06
Nov 25, 2022 @ TBL L 2-5 0 0 0 -2 0 1 0 16:19
Nov 21, 2022 vs ANA W 3-1 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 14:25
Nov 19, 2022 vs ANA W 6-2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 15:05
Nov 17, 2022 vs WSH W 5-4 (SO) 0 0 0 -1 2 1 0 16:15
Nov 16, 2022 @ CHI W 5-2 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 16:59
Nov 14, 2022 @ COL W 3-2 1 0 1 1 0 5 0 14:04
Nov 12, 2022 @ VGK W 3-2 1 0 1 0 0 2 0 17:35
Nov 10, 2022 vs SJS W 5-3 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 17:03
Nov 8, 2022 @ PHI L 1-5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 19:15
Nov 7, 2022 @ BOS L 1-3 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 17:55
Oct 22, 2022 @ EDM W 2-0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 16:58
Oct 19, 2022 @ SEA W 4-3 (OT) 0 0 0 -1 0 1 0 16:20
Oct 15, 2022 vs CBJ W 5-2 0 0 0 -1 0 2 0 14:23