June 30th, 2015. The hockey world dropped their collective jaws to the floor as Chicago, fresh off their Stanley Cup win, traded Brandon Saad to Columbus.
A casualty of the Blackhawks’ perennial cap crunch, he was quickly signed to a six year, $36 million deal, immediately becoming the highest paid player on the roster.
Drafted in the 2nd round of the 2011 draft, Saad had enjoyed a remarkable career until that point, winning World Juniors gold and two Stanley Cups before his 22nd birthday, with a natural gift for scoring that made him stand out even when sharing the ice with players like Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews.