Amidst all the free-agent signings, the Chicago Blackhawks made a move to bolster their blueline with the acquisition of Nikita Zadorov and Anton Lindholm from the Colorado Avalanche. In exchange for the pair of defensemen, the Blackhawks sent the Avs forward Brandon Saad and defenseman Dennis Gilbert.
Zadorov played in 64 games last season, his fifth with the Blackhawks after spending his first two seasons in the league with the Buffalo Sabres. In averaging just under 18 minutes of ice time a game, Zadorov tallied four goals and nine assists and racked up 65 penalty minutes.
Lindholm, a restricted free agent in 2021, spend much of the past two seasons with the Colorado Eagles of the AHL as he appeared in just six games with the Avalanche over the last two seasons. Lindholm suited up for 48 games with the Avs during the 2017-18 season and had four assists.
The trade ends Saad’s second stint with the Blackhawks, the team with whom he played his first three seasons. During that first run with the Blackhawks, Saad was a member of two Stanley Cup winning teams. He spent the 2015-16 and 2016-17 season with the Blue Jackets before returning to Chicago in 2017. In 58 games last season, Saad had 21 goals and 12 assists. Dennis Gilbert has just 22 games of NHL experience, 21 of which came last season. He has six goals and 15 assists over 93 games with the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL the past two seasons.
