In the wake of the Chicago Blackhawks third Stanley Cup championship in the last six seasons - the second of Brandon Saad's Hawks and NHL career - Chicago GM Stan Bowman made a point of seeking out Saad in the winner's locker room and assuring him that his time as a member of the Blackhawks franchise wasn't coming to an end anytime soon.
Well, it turns out Bowman may have been fibbing a bit, as on the eve of the NHL's 2015-16 free agency period, Bowman and the Hawks dealt the up-and-coming power forward to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman was the first to report that Columbus and Chicago were working on a deal involving Saad and Chris Johnston added that Blue Jackets forwards Artem Anisimov and Marko Dano were part of the deal.
Both teams confirmed the move shortly thereafter.
"The Chicago Blackhawks announced today they have acquired forwards Artem Anisimov (AHR-tehm a-NEE-see-mawv), Marko Dano (DAN-oh), Jeremy Morin and Corey Tropp (TRAHP) and a fourth-round selection in the 2016 NHL Draft from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for forwards Alex Broadhurst and Brandon Saad and defenseman Michael Paliotta," reads the Blackhawks release announcing the move.
Anisimov is the biggest piece heading back to Chicago in the deal. He appeared in 52 games for Columbus last season and totaled seven goals and 20 assists. At 27, the elite sniper likely still has many years of NHL work in him. Dano is just 20 and managed eight goals and 13 assists during his first 35 NHL games with the Blue Jackets, all of which came in 2014-15.
Still, Saad's inclusion in the deal is the biggest news and his trade represents a stunning reversal for the Blackhawks and Bowman. Jay Zawaski of CBS Chicago reported early Tuesday that contract talks between Saad and the Hawks had proven more difficult than expected and that "the two camps are further apart" than was initially presumed.
At just 22 and having contributed significantly to the latest Hawks Cup win, it's hard to fathom that Saad will now continue his NHL career elsewhere. It was expected a two-year bridge would keep him in Chicago, but according to Zawaski, Saad's camp was firm in their desire for a longer-term deal.
As ESPN's Pierre LeBrun notes, there was no salary retained in the deal on either side.
