The #Oilers are in on Saad but like Toffoli, Saad will have multiple teams interested. His ankle injury is considered relatively minor. Worth keeping an eye on. https://t.co/seNFLfbuzH

— Kurt Leavins (@KurtLeavins) December 30, 2019

Considering that the Blackhawks are currently one of the bottom ten teams in the NHL and last in their division, this kind of talk should come as no surprise to the Chicago faithful. Despite Saad’s ankle injury and subsequent trip to the long term injured reserve list, the Western Conference foes value his modest $6 million cap hit and steady production. Leavins and Spector go on to state that the additional year on his current contract (following this season) has been a bit of a stumbling block instead of being just a typical trade deadline playoff rental.

With both teams having (alleged) depth on their defense, organizationally, this kind of deal might interest Stan Bowman. Saad’s age, experience, and consistent production is just what a playoff bound team could use on the left side.

The 2011 second-round draft pick is in his second stint with the Blackhawks after originally getting traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets in the summer of 2015. He was re-acquired in the much maligned Artemi Panarin trade on June 23, 2017. This season, Saad is fifth on the Blackhawks in scoring with 19 points (11 goals, 8 assists).

The-Rink’s very own John Jaeckel estimates Saad’s trade value to these clubs as potentially returning a mid to late first-round pick, a young player and a solid prospect. Edmonton has some very young defensemen like Evan Bouchard and Philip Broberg, while the Avalanche have a plethora of young promising defensemen such as this year’s first-round draft pick Bowen Byram. Those players may or may not be in available, but Stan Bowman should definitely be inquiring about players of that level of pedigree.

Another player that is undoubtedly available in Edmonton is 2016 fourth overall pick Jesse Puljujärvi who has been holding out from signing with the Oilers and is currently playing in Finland with Oulun Kärpät of Liiga.

What could a Saad-to-Edmonton/Colorado trade fetch for Stan Bowman and the Blackhawks? Register for our message board and comment below!

The post REPORT: Oilers and Avalanche inquiring about Brandon Saad appeared first on The Rink.

First in the series of prospect profiles is defenseman Philip Broberg.

Philip Broberg
2018–19 Team: AIK Allsvenskan Swedish League
Date of Birth: June 25, 2001
Place of Birth: Orebro, Sweden
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 201 pounds
Shoots: Left
Position: Defenseman
NHL Central Scouting final ranking: No. 5 European Skaters
NHL comparable: Mattias Ekholm

At 17 years of age, the 6-foot-3 and 201 pound Broberg has an excellent frame to project as a monster on skates. His size and speed combo allows him to take away time and space while using his body effectively, both defending in front of the net and in the corners. His physicality suggests a shutdown type defender.

The Swedish defenseman has a knack for picking up pucks in his own zone and leading his team on breaks the other way in a blink of the eye. He reaches top speed quickly and has excellent power in his stride. Broberg also finds his teammates without losing stride and jumps into plays to become an extra forward on the attack.

Broberg uses his reach to his advantage in the defensive zone. His use of the stick is excellent and allows him to make plays along the boards and in tight to the net with ease. Broberg’s positioning is solid for a defenseman his age but the small intricacies of playing in the NHL will come with experience. He shows a solid feel for the power game and can be a handful for opponents with his strength.

With high hockey IQ, Broberg has a knack for making plays one step ahead. He has shown a tendency to try to make plays that are not there, something that will need to be fixed for the top league in the world, but he sees the game at an elite level. Most of the time, he makes the game appear that it is in slow motion to him. An important quality for a top pick at defense.

Projection
A good size-speed combo and the ability to play big minutes suggest a top 2 defenseman is Broberg’s ceiling. At worst, you are drafting a two-way defenseman that can kill penalties, play on the power play and log No. 3 defenseman type minutes.

Implications for the Blackhawks

Broberg would be a nice addition to the Blackhawks’ defensive prospect pipeline. He would instantly become the tallest, heaviest, most physical, and defensively astute of all Blackhawks’ defense prospects (and a couple of players on the NHL squad). With that being said, many draft analysts predict Broberg to be the second or third defenseman taken in the draft. He would be a reach at No. 3, but an intriguing option who fills a need, should Chicago trade down.

What others are saying

A big-bodied puck rusher with excellent speed and a physical component, Broberg is the perfect low-risk, high-reward rearguard. Some feel he’s destined to become a top-pairing NHL defenseman.
Steve Kournianos – The Draft Analyst

Highlights

2018 Gretzky-Hlinka and 2019 World Junior Championship Highlights

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