Golden Knights fans surprised by another free agent close to re-signing with the team

It seems like Kelly McCrimmon is in a giving mood regarding his pending free agents. First, it was Reilly Smith who got a one-year, $2 million contract with a full no-move clause. Now?

The details of Saad's deal are unknown at the moment.

However, it signals that Kelly McCrimmon is confident in his abilities as a player. Thus, he also returns to Las Vegas for more T-Mobile Arena hockey.

Saad scored 13 goals and 17 assists with both the Vegas Golden Knights and the St. Louis Blues in 2024-25. However, he had a quieter postseason by only scoring two assists. Overall, Saad has 266 goals and 263 assists in his 14-year career. Along the way, he won two Stanley Cups and was on the 2012-13 All-Rookie Team.

Brandon Saad re-signing with the Vegas Golden Knights is more surprising than Reilly Smith returning

While the Smith signing was expected, the Saad signing was more surprising. Not scoring any goals during the postseason can lead people to believe you don't have that finishing touch anymore.

There's also the age factor that comes into play. Being 32 years old when your team was one of the oldest in the NHL (median age of 29.9, according to LeftWingLock) can make your group seem slower.

But that doesn't seem to matter when it comes to the Golden Knights. The one thing that matters (aside from friendship and happiness) is winning the Stanley Cup. That comes from having experienced hockey players who know a thing or two about winning the Stanley Cup.

That's where Saad comes into play. His prior experience with the Chicago Blackhawks, combined with his forechecking and scoring abilities, were the primary reasons why McCrimmon took a waiver on him to return.

Will it work in the long run? Stay tuned. The good thing about giving players like Brandon Saad a contract extension is that he still has something to prove. People will think he's washed and he's incapable of producing. 2025-26 could be the year that all changes.