On the eve of our nation’s 239th birthday, Jarmo Kekalainen locked up another core piece of his team, signing newly acquired forward Brandon Saad to a new six-year contract reportedly worth $36 million.
The deal, which ties Saad and the Blue Jackets together through the 2020-2021 season, took less than 72 hours to complete and solidifies an elite two-way player on the top line, most likely on the left wing of star center Ryan Johansen – though he’s going to leave that decision up to his new coach, Todd Richards.