The Golden Knights are bolstering their forward depth by adding a two-time Stanley Cup champion.
The Knights signed left wing Brandon Saad to a one-year contract worth $1.5 million, the team announced Friday. The 32-year-old was a free agent after the St. Louis Blues put him on waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract Thursday.
Saad has 260 goals and 515 points in 906 NHL games. He won the Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2013 and 2015 and has 27 goals and 55 points in 103 career playoff games.
The Knights will be the fifth NHL team he’s played for, along with the Blackhawks, Blues, Columbus Blue Jackets and Colorado Avalanche.
Saad had seven goals and 16 points in 43 games this season before being placed on waivers. He decided to forgo the remainder of the five-year, $22.5 million contract he signed with St. Louis in 2021 to avoid being sent to the American Hockey League.
Saad could boost the Knights’ bottom six, as offseason trade acquisition Alexander Holtz has struggled with three goals and 11 points in 47 games. That led to the team playing veteran AHL call-ups Cal Burke and Raphael Lavoie in Thursday’s 2-1 overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Knights should still have enough salary-cap flexibility to acquire additional help before the NHL’s trade deadline March 7 if they decide they need it. The team is in the middle of its worst slump of the season, with a 3-6-3 record in its past 12 games.
Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.
