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orzoff
Lv 4
orzoff asked in SportsHockey · 8 years ago

Should Brandon Saad be on the US Olympic Team?

I'm serious....I think he's that good. He's as strong on the puck as Hossa and Toews. He's so dynamic and constantly creating scoring chances for himself and his teammates. He's a tremendous PKer and he has breakaway speed which is a huge asset on olympic ice.

Update:

It's going to be tough for him to make the team. I think he deserves it especially considering the bigger ice surface and the fact that his game will be elevated because of that.

I watch every single Hawks game from opening draw to final buzzer and, honestly, he is as strong on the puck as Hossa and Toews, meaning that when it comes to that one skill he is elite. Tremendous balance and body positioning to aid in protecting the puck.

Patrick Kane is finally having a consistent MVP type season. I would say Saad has been our next most consistent forward. Sharp is the worst good player in the league. Toews and Hossa have disappeared for stretches of games. I'd love to see Saad adorning the stars and bars in Russia.

2 Answers

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  • 8 years ago
    Favorite Answer

    He should definitely be considered....especially being a natural winger.

    At first glance, a casual fan may laugh at the assertion that he is as strong on the puck as Hossa and Toews because after all, they are Selke caliber players. However, your assertion is not that far off the mark. This season, he has been as strong on the puck as Hossa and Toews.

    The stat that we can best gauge being "strong on the puck" is giveaways and takeaways. In fact, it is a perfect indicator.

    Saad plays 17:01 per game

    Hossa plays 18:29 per game

    Toews plays 20:51 per game

    Saad has 8 giveaways

    Hossa has 10 giveaways (5 less games)

    Toews has 11 giveaways

    Saad has 29 takeaways

    Hossa has 38 takeaways

    Toews has 22 takeaways

    So...Saad is +21

    Hossa is +28

    Toews is +11

    Saad also leads all three with a +14. All three do some penalty killing.

    Now consider that Saad spends much less time on the top 2 lines with the quality of linemates that Hossa and Toews have the luxury of.

    Then consider that he is a great skater and it is an International ice surface.

    Then consider that is a short tournament and they prefer players who are not mistake prone as one mistake could cost you the tournament (see the PK Subban debate).

    I think he should be there...at the very least as an extra forward. I think he will be there....as an extra forward and might even crack a line.

  • Anonymous
    8 years ago

    he's good ... but there are better

    and he's not as strong as Hossa and Toews .. don't be silly

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