The Saadfather, Part II: Golden Knights Reportedly Extending Saad

On Wednesday, just hours after the Vegas Golden Knights re-signed Reilly Smith, Elliotte Friedman reported winger Brandon Saad was also “returning to Vegas.”

The details of the deal are still unknown.

After mutually agreeing to contract termination with the St. Louis Blues, Saad joined the Golden Knights in February on a one-year, $1.5 million deal. He essentially left $5.4 million on the table to do so, citing a desire to win.

“I think at this point in my career, I’ve had success and made a lot of money,” said Saad in February. “Chasing more money wasn’t leading to any happiness.”

Saad came to the Golden Knights hoping for a fresh start, and he got it. He fit in very well with the system and found a home on a line with Tomáš Hertl and Pavel Dorofeyev. Saad finished the season with six goals and 14 points in 29 games. Even when he didn’t find the scoresheet, he made a positive impact with his speed and forechecking. 

Despite cooling off in the postseason, Saad’s play was certainly worthy of a raise. And if he wanted the money, quite a few contending teams could afford to give him that raise. 

The Golden Knights exited the postseason with a whimper. They’ll need to improve their roster if they want to once again contend for the Stanley Cup. And with just $7.615 million remaining after re-signing Reilly Smith, they can’t afford to give Saad a significant raise.

Even if the Golden Knights sign Saad to another one-year, $1.5 million contract, it’ll be difficult for them to pursue Mitch Marner or another high-profile top-six winger without first shedding salary. 

Re-signing Brandon Saad means one of two things. Either the Golden Knights are running it back, or significant changes are coming.

Buckle up.

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