Brandon Saad: Spirit of Saginaw, NHL-bound
Growing up just north of Pittsburgh in Gibsonia, PA., Brandon Saad idolized the Penguins’ multitude of offensive dynamos — the likes of Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr and more recently Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.
It’s ironic then that Saad, the 19th ranked North American skater and top-rated U.S. prospect on Central Scouting’s final rankings for the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, is being lauded for his all-around game.
“Brandon has very good speed and agility and that makes him dangerous, he’s solid on his skates and fights through checks very well,” said NHL Central Scouting’s Chris Edwards. “He plays a solid two-way game and is very responsible defensively.”
At just 18 years old, Saad already boasts NHL size. The Saginaw Spirit left winger stands 6’2″ and tips the scales at 211 pounds. But he brings much more than just size to the ice.
“I’m a two-way player, with playmaking ability,” said Saad in an interview with The Good Point. “I can score too, but I consider myself more of a playmaker.”
Skating on Saginaw’s top line alongside fellow Pennsylvania-born prospect Vincent Trocheck, Saad tallied 27 goals and 55 points in 59 games during the 2010-11 regular season — his first in the Ontario Hockey League. Saad added three goals and nine assists in 12 playoff games for the Spirit.
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Saginaw head coach and general manager Todd Watson said it’s Saad’s versatility that makes him such an effective player.
“He’s a big, two-way forward, he skates well, has excellent skill,” Watson said. “He can play any facet of the game, plays on the power-play. He’s a very good penalty-killer, plays on the 5-on-3 for and against and plays 4-on-4.”
“As a first-year player it was great that he could play in any situation.”
Saginaw selected Saad 10th overall in the 2008 OHL priority draft — ahead of NHL freshmen sensations Cam Fowler and Jeff Skinner and just one spot behind Bruins center Tyler Seguin.
Saad played with the US Under-18 National Development Program in 2009-10 and led the team in scoring with 58 points — 29 goals and 29 assists — in 63 games. He guided the US to its gold medal finish at the 2010 U-18 World Championships.
Entering the 2010-11 season, Saad chose to play in the OHL over the collegiate level because he felt playing major junior hockey would make for a more direct route to the NHL.
The transition from the USHL to the OHL was eased by the strength of the Saginaw squad, said Saad.
“Moving to a different area, getting comfortable with the situation is tough,” Saad said. “We had a great team this year so that made it a lot easier. Stepping into the league was tough. The OHL is a great league so I really had to step up my game.”
With Saad on board, Saginaw had its best season in franchise history, as they captured their first ever OHL West Division title and advanced to the second-round of the OHL playoffs.
Watson said the Spirit organization places tremendous value on the off-ice characteristics of its players, an area in which Saad excels.
“He’s well-rounded, a great kid off the ice,” Watson said. “He’s a thinker on the ice, really intelligent and does great in the classroom.”
“Everyone on the team would agree that he’s a great teammate. He’s a quieter kid, not real abrasive, but a great teammate. He’s a model Saginaw Spirit.”
Watson coached rugged Pittsburgh Penguins left winger James Neal during his stint as an assistant coach with the Plymouth Whalers and said that Saad brings parallel attributes to the ice.
“That’s a good comparison,” said Watson of Neal and Saad. “They’re similar. Brandon is well on his way to being a top player like that.”
Saad, projected as a first-round pick and the highest ever drafted Saginaw Spirit, said he has no concrete expectations for when his name gets called at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft in Minnesota.
“There’s not too much I can do now that the season’s over. I’m just focused on having a good [NHL] Combine,” Saad said.
“It doesn’t matter what round I get drafted, just making it into the league would be a dream come true.”
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Check out more of The Good Point’s 2011 NHL Entry Draft Prospects Series.
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