The Chicago Blackhawks and restricted free agent Brandon Saad still have significant ground to make up in order to come to an agreement on a new contract, according to Jay Zawaski of CBS Chicago. He says the Hawks are pushing for a two-year bridge contract while Saad wants "a longer-term deal at $4 million-plus per year."
If the Hawks don't come to an agreement on a new deal with Saad by Wednesday, he'll be eligible to receive offer sheets from the other 29 teams as an RFA. Chicago will retain the right to match any offer and receive draft picks if Saad walks, but with limited cap space the team would surely prefer not to let things get out of hand on the free agent market.