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Blackhawks ship Saad to Avalanche for Zadorov

Andy Devlin / National Hockey League / Getty

The Chicago Blackhawks have traded forward Brandon Saad and prospect Dennis Gilbert to the Colorado Avalanche for defensemen Nikita Zadorov and Anton Lindholm, the team announced Saturday.

The Blackhawks are also reportedly retaining $1 million on Saad's contract, a source told The Athletic's Scott Powers. He's entering the final year of his deal that contains a $6-million cap hit.

Saad, a five-time 20-plus-goal scorer, potted 21 goals and added 12 helpers in 58 games this past season. The 27-year-old is a two-time Stanley Cup champion with 81 career playoff games under his belt. He's also proven to be an effective play-driver, as HockeyViz's five-on-five isolated impact shows:

Red is good in the offensive zone (top row), blue is good in the defensive zone (bottom)

hockeyviz.com

Zadorov fills a need on Chicago's blue line after the team traded Olli Maatta to the Los Angeles Kings earlier in the offseason. He's physically imposing at 6-foot-6 and 235 pounds, and Zadorov racked up 175 hits last season. The 25-year-old will earn $3.2 million next campaign after signing his qualifying offer.

The Blackhawks hold a projected $8.4 million in cap space with one restricted free agent (Dylan Strome) left to sign, according to CapFriendly. Chicago's goaltending depth chart also severely lacks experience, as Collin Delia and Malcolm Subban headline the group after the club let Corey Crawford walk.

Meanwhile, Gilbert was Chicago's third-round pick in 2015. The 23-year-old skated in 21 games with the Blackhawks this season, spending an additional 30 in the AHL.

Lindholm was Colorado's fifth-round pick in 2014. The 25-year-old blue-liner has tallied five assists in 66 career games across four seasons.

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