Brandon Saad turned down 4 teams before choosing Vegas

A few weeks ago, when the St. Louis Blues and veteran forward Brandon Saad mutually agreed to terminate his contract, the player cleared unconditional waivers and was immediately signed to a one-year deal for the remainder of the 2024-25 season with the Vegas Golden Knights.

However, they weren’t the only ones hoping to add Saad to their roster. According to insider Elliotte Friedman, four other teams attempted to sign Saad, who ended up choosing Vegas. Here is what Friedman revealed in his last 32 Thoughts column on Sportsnet:

“The Devils, Senators and Maple Leafs also were among those who went hard for Brandon Saad , as did Tampa Bay. Can’t fault Saad for picking Vegas, despite the team’s current struggles. The Golden Knights will be just fine.”

Saad agreed to a pro rated $1.5M contract with the Golden Knights and has since collected a goal in three games with his new team.

With his championship experience with the Chicago Blackhawks, plus his affordability and his even 20-plus goal seasons, Saad quickly became a top target in the NHL, that would have been a great addition in New Jersey, Ottawa, Toronto or Tampa.

The story does not tell why he didn’t want to join either of the four clubs that came calling, perhaps it was his belief that Vegas is the best contender for a championship this season, which would offer him a third Stanley Cup in his career.

I guess we will see in the postseason if Saad made the right choice.