The Chicago Blackhawks have made it abundantly clear that they want to keep star forward Brandon Saad in the fold for the long-term, but with some tough choices to make in terms of which players to keep, the question of how much money he wants will end up determining his future.
To that end, Saad addressed the media at the United Center on Wednesday afternoon, and he discussed the notion of giving the team a hometown discount.
Here is what he told Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times:
“It’s something that’s crossed my mind, for sure,” he said. “The money’s going to come and go. But to win championships and play on a great team, that’s what it’s all about...We have a tight group here. I’m close with a lot of the guys, and it’s fun out there on the ice and off the ice. The goal is to be in Chicago.”
Saad will be a restricted free agent on July 1, with teams able to sign him to offer sheets. The Blackhawks will have the option of matching any offer that the winger receives, but if the price tag gets too high, they could opt to let him go and take back a bounty of draft picks in return for his services.
