The Columbus Blue Jackets added a playoff veteran in their lineup Tuesday after a trade deal to acquire forward Brandon Saad from the reigning Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks.
Last Friday, Saad, 22, reportedly inked a six-year pact with the Blue Jackets worth $36 million.
"Adding a player of Brandon's caliber is exciting for the Columbus Blue Jackets organization, and we and our fans are extremely pleased to have reached this long-term commitment that assures he will be an important part of our team for years to come," Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said in a statement Friday.
The player is coming off a great season with the Blackhawks after winning his second Stanley Cup in three seasons.
Chicago drafted Saad as the 43<sup>rd overall in 2011. He has spent his entire NHL career with the Blackhawks so far and has 52 goals with 74 assists (126 points). In 67 playoff appearances, Saad has a total of 34 points (15 goals, 19 assists).
Kekalainen told the Columbus Dispatch that the Blue Jackets and Saad wanted to arrive at a deal as soon as possible so he could focus on hockey.
"It took a couple of days, but it was more about the smaller details than anything else. We weren't far apart at the start," he added.
Columbus let go of forwards Artem Anisimov, Marko Dano, Corey Tropp, Jeremy Morin and a 2016 fourth-round pick to acquire Saad, NHL.com reported.
"I'm not sure who I'll be playing with when it comes, but they've got a lot of talented guys. I know that playing against them, for how hard they work and the system they play, they're tough to play against. With that talent and skill on top of that, it makes them lethal. I'm happy to be a part of the team," Saad said about joining the Blue Jackets, according to NHL.com.
He added, "I couldn't be more excited to get this thing done and get the season started." Saad believed that his rich playoff experience helped his game and molded him into the leader that he can be for the Blue Jackets.
