A day before free agency, the Chicago Blackhawks completed a surprising deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Blackhawks parted with 22-year-old forward Brandon Saad, along with prospects Alex Broadhurst and Michael Paliotta. In return, the Blue Jackets dealt Artem Anisimov, Marko Dano, Corey Tropp, Jeremy Morin, and a fourth-round pick to the Blackhawks.
The latest installment in their yearly roster purges, Chicago parted ways with Saad – a restricted free agent – when it became apparent that they could not afford their breakout star. The two sides were reported to be far apart in contract talks. The Hawks were tight to the salary cap again this offseason, so it was necessary for the team to acquire some cheaper contracts.
Meanwhile, Columbus had been preparing for a move like this by stockpiling young, talented depth in order to make a move for an elite forward. The team parted with four useful pieces and a mid-round draft pick in order to acquire a young, offensively minded, top-six skater. Let’s take a closer look at who won this deal.
Columbus Blue Jackets acquire Brandon Saad, Alex Broadhurst, and Michael Paliotta
With 23 goals, 52 points, and 203 shots last season, Saad emerged as a quality scoring winger for the Blackhawks. Skating with Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa on the top line for much of the season, Saad was a reliable goal-scorer and shot-generator. Saad is known for his good skating and decent NHL size. He was projected to be a goal-scorer and appears to be reaching his potential.
While there’s much to like, Saad actually posted a slightly negative Corsi for percentage relative to his teammates. Toews and Hossa dropped slightly in Corsi for percentage (about one percent) when playing away from Saad, but Saad’s puck possession rates really suffered without Toews and Hossa. In fact, his Corsi for dropped by five percent without Toews and six percent without Hossa. This suggests that Saad’s puck management relied strongly on his veteran teammates.
His individual scoring rates and puck possession are very strong, which makes Saad a wise investment for the Blue Jackets. He’s young and has time to develop into a key offensive piece for the maturing Blue Jackets lineup. Whether or not Saad can continue his upward progression without elite linemates like Toews and Hossa will be a challenge. For Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen, the chance to snag a young scorer is worth the risk.
Young forward Alex Broadhurst projects to a depth role as an NHL call-up and defenseman Michael Paliotta possesses some shutdown ability. Both represent organizational depth.
Chicago Blackhawks receive Artem Anisimov, Marko Dano, Jeremy Morin, Corey Tropp, and a 4th round pick in 2016
Artem Anisimov is coming off a slow campaign in Columbus, posting 27 points and 88 shots in 52 games. Now 27-years-old, usually a forward’s prime age, Anisimov has likely shown most of his development. He’s never bested the 44 points he managed with the New York Rangers in 2010-11, but his per 60 rates suggest some untapped offensive potential. He is regarded as a two-way player with the potential to serve as a shutdown forward as well. Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville will have options.
In a complementary role, and playing alongside leaders like Toews and Kane, Anisimov could be the key piece in this deal for the Blackhawks.
For some analysts, the 20-year-old Dano is so talented that he may be the best part of the return for Saad. He scored 21 points in 35 games and managed a blistering 88 shots. He possesses an excellent shot, puck creativity, and the kind of personality that should play well in a city that reveres Patrick Kane. It’s reasonable to assume that Dano could develop into Saad’s role with another two years of NHL experience.
Jeremy Morin returns to Chicago and, at $800,000, is a cheap, young, bottom-six skater who could fill a depth scoring role at the NHL level while providing some salary cap relief for the Blackhawks. He’s familiar with Chicago’s systems and should fit in again with the team.
Corey Tropp makes $625,000 next season and is purely a cheap, depth forward with a limited role at the NHL level.
Snagging the useful Anisimov and the highly-touted Dano along with a pair of cheap forwards is a very solid return for the Blackhawks who couldn’t afford to give Saad the raise he sought.
The Blue Jackets Win the Deal…But Not By Much
Columbus comes ahead here, dealing three utility pieces, a fourth round pick, and a good prospect for Saad – a young player that has already shown top-six scoring at the NHL level. With approximately $13 million in cap space, the Blue Jackets can happily ink Saad to a long-term deal and have secured a budding star with Stanley Cup experience.
The Blackhawks did as well as possible here though. The team is pinned to the cap (as usual) and has grown accustomed to dealing away secondary pieces in order to preserve their core – Toews, Kane, Duncan Keith, and Corey Crawford. While trading Saad stings, Artem Anisimov still has some potential and Marko Dano is an exciting prospect to add to the team’s strong stable of under-25 skaters. The Blackhawks continue to manage their cap situation neatly. They didn’t win this trade but they exacted a very reasonable return.
Written by Sean Tierney, who can be found @SeanTierneyTSS