"I just think he really worked hard on his skills and some of the intangibles and skill work that goes along with playing the game," Kane said. "You could see it in scrimmages and different things. He's still a fast skater but it looks like he's slowing things down a bit, playing a little more controlled right now, anyway. I think it'll bode well for him. Just from what I saw this summer and the work he put in, I think he's going to have a big season. I still believe that, and I'm hopefully a part of that as well."
Saad said he tinkered with a few things this offseason, doing some extra skill work, "keeping your head up, making plays with the puck and using your edge work to escape out of corners, things like that." He's hoping it'll lead to better results for him, his line and the Blackhawks.
"For me, it's sticking to my game, crashing the net, being around the net," Saad said. "I think that'll compliment [Schmaltz and Kane] well, give them space on the outside and hopefully we can continue that with success going forward."