Top scorer Saigeon returns
That’s one question answered.
Grimsby’s Brandon Saigeon has been returned to the Hamilton Bulldogs for an overage season, which is great news for a team coping with a huge turnover of high-end talent in the aftermath of its Ontario Hockey League championship win.
“We are obviously very thrilled to have Brandon back,” general manager Steve Staios said .
The 20-year-old Colorado Avalanche prospect is expected to be in the lineup on Friday, when the Bulldogs open the season in North Bay.
There is more than one reason why Saigeon’s presence matters. First, with Hamilton poised to graduate six of its 10 highest scorers from last season, it will inject some much needed offensive firepower. It will also help lighten the load for the team’s younger and less expereinced players, who, given the circumstances, are feeling some pressure to produce.
“From a team perspective, it helps put everyone back in a situation where they’re not playing maybe above where they should initially,” Staios said.
The other benefit is that Saigeon is an excellent bargaining chip. If the centre continues on his current trajectory, he could be the best overage player in the OHL this season and trading him would net a significant return.
Staios, who spent big to assemble a
championship team last winter, isn’t planning to deal the 35-goal scorer. Not yet.
“This team deserves an opportunity to grow together,” he said. “I won’t make any projections on how it’s going to go. It’ll be up to the group and up to the coaching staff to get it to a high level and at that point they’ll dictate to me what the situation is.”
Saigeon, meanwhile, said it’s not weighing on him.
“I know players in my situation, there’s a history of that happening. I’m not even thinking about that right now,” he added. “There’s no place I’d rather play than in Hamilton.”
The lone holdover from the Belleville Bulls era, Saigeon spent three weeks training with the Avalanche — who selected him in the fifth round of the draft in June — before being shipped home on Wednesday. Like him, Nic Mattinen, Isaac Nurse and Matt Strome are also back after taking part in NHL rookie tournaments and camps, while Mackenzie Entwistle, who is expected to be returned to the team, is still with the Blackhawks in Chicago.
A handful of other prospective overagers, including Ben Gleason, Will Bitten, Riley Stillman, Marian Studenic, Nick Caamano and goalie Kaden Fulcher, are also still with their NHL teams.
While it’s disappointing for Saigeon to come home from Colorado without a contract signed, he is optimistic about his future — with the Avalanche and with the Bulldogs. He is also vocal about his desire to be a leader.
“We’re a little younger, but we still have a lot of good players — even the young guys are looking good out here — so I think I can do a good job leading these guys,” he said while taking in practice at Morgan Firestone Arena on Thursday.
A year ago, Saigeon had the secondmost points for the team behind Robert Thomas (70) and the second-most goals behind Matt Strome. He scored 16 of them on the power play, which was second-most in the OHL, and another 18 in the playoffs — one fewer than league-leader Boris Katchouk.