Saad agrees to five-year, $22.5 million contract with Blues

Brandon Saad
agreed to terms on a five-year, $22.5 million contract with the St. Louis Blues on Thursday. It has an average annual value of $4.5 million.

The 28-year-old forward, who was an unrestricted free agent, scored 24 points (15 goals, nine assists) in 44 regular-season games for the Colorado Avalanche last season and eight points (seven goals, one assist) in 10 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
"I'm excited," Saad said. "I'm looking forward to getting to know the city a little bit better, because when you play there, kind of in and out, you don't get to see all parts of the city. But I've heard great things, and they're obviously a great hockey team that I'm looking forward to joining and having another chance of winning and have that success. I think all the ingredients are there, and it's a team that definitely excites me, that's for sure, so I'm definitely glad to be a part of it."
Saad said the Blues' physical style suits his game.
"I think from playing against them, they play a heavy game," he said. "They like to hold on to pucks, cycle pucks, protect it, and that's all part of my identity as well. I think I can fit right into that aspect, as well as play a 200-foot game."

Selected by the Chicago Blackhawks in the second round (No. 43) of the 2011 NHL Draft, Saad has scored 371 points (184 goals, 187 assists) in 632 regular-season games with the Avalanche, Blackhawks and Columbus Blue Jackets.
He has scored 50 points (25 goals, 25 assists) in 91 playoff games and won the Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks in 2013 and 2015. St. Louis won the Cup in 2019.
"I think that experience, it's hard to come by," Saad said. "So any time you can join a team that's had success, especially recently, they know what it takes to win, they kind of have that mentality. I think that's huge and something that you can't really put a price on."
NHL.com independent correspondent Louie Korac contributed to this report