Blue Jackets' Saad required 4 root canals after taking puck to mouth, will debut Saturday

At least nine out of 10 dentists would agree Brandon Saad's teeth were terribly messed up after he took a puck to the mouth at a Columbus Blue Jackets practice Monday.

The forward has yet to make his preseason debut, largely due to the fact that he required four root canals to fix the damage.

Saad practiced Thursday and will play in Saturday's preseason game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, head coach Todd Richards announced Friday. The bench boss also said he's impressed with Saad's resiliency.

"You talk with him after (the injury), and he was very nonchalant about it, like nothing happened," Richards told Rob Mixer of BlueJackets.com. "It's good to have him back out on the ice and being part of the team."

Saad is expected to begin his tenure with the club on a line with Ryan Johansen and Nick Foligno.