LA Kings: Three UFA wingers to pursue on bridge deals
By Ryan Sikes
1. Brandon Saad
Originally a second-round pick of the Blackhawks back in 2011, Saad was traded to Columbus when Chicago was up against the salary cap after the 2015 Stanley Cup run. However, he was reacquired in the Artemi Panarin deal a couple of seasons later.
In November 2020, with the Blackhawks in transition, Saad was traded to the Colorado Avalanche. He proceeded to score 15 goals with nine assists in 44 games, backed behind a career-high 22.1 shot percentage.
Of course, how much stock goes into his numbers playing on a high-powered team like the Avalanche? Consider this. Saad put up 21 goals and 33 points a year ago on a Blackhawks team that would have otherwise missed the playoffs if not for the expanded playoff bubble format.
light. Related Story. Brandon Saad should be a top free agent target
Evolving Hockey sees the 28-year-old left-winger getting a four-year deal at a $5.1M AAV cap hit. If the LA Kings aren’t committed to a four-year deal, perhaps a higher AAV and one less year would be an attractive deal for Saad. The Pittsburgh, PA native is sure to have plenty of suitors this offseason, though.
Colorado will have approximately $19M in available cap space during the offseason. Still, they have a number of unrestricted and restricted free agents to re-sign, including captain Gabriel Landeskog and defenseman Cale Makar.