Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Blackhawks injuries to Stalberg and Smith, opens door for top prospect Brandon Saad

2011 NHL Entry Draft - Portraits

ST PAUL, MN - JUNE 25: 43rd overall pick Brandon Saad by the Chicago Blackhawks poses for a portrait during day two of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft at Xcel Energy Center on June 25, 2011 in St Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)

Getty Images

Chicago is suddenly having a hard time with injuries in the preseason and while that’s bad for the team in general, it’s a good thing they managed to draft pretty well back in June.

Viktor Stalberg is set to miss the next 2-3 weeks with a knee injury and Ben Smith is “day to day” according to coach Joel Quenneville after getting rocked by a head shot from Red Wings defenseman Brendan Smith. Those are tough developments for Chicago to handle, but the play of 2011 second round pick Brandon Saad is making Quenneville take notice of the 18 year-old’s skills.

CSNChicago’s Tracey Myers gets the word from the coach on how Saad is forcing him to take notice of his skills.

“Saader’s been one of those guys you appreciate what he can do,” Quenneville said. “Certainly his playing on the wing with Johnny (Toews) is a nice thing for him at this stage of camp. He’s been useful every time we’ve seen him on the ice. He continues to impress us. He’s got a chance.”

Playing with Toews can make a lot of guys look really good but for a second round pick who went into the draft with first round potential, it’s the chance of a lifetime to prove that he should’ve been taken sooner than 43rd. As a product who played for the U.S. National Development Team and is a product of the OHL’s Sarnia Sting, the Pennsylvania native wants to show that he can be a power forward right away. At 6'2" 210 pounds and still incredibly young, if he isn’t ready now, he’ll be a monster in the years to come in Chicago.

As for his immediate future, if he doesn’t win a spot with the team out of camp, he can still get a nine-game look in Chicago to see if he can hack it before the team decides whether to send him back to junior hockey or not. Saad won’t be the only prospect to get that treatment, but getting a shot to do it in Chicago means getting a big start in a great situation.