Could Brandon Saad be the missing ingredient in Chicago?

Much of the hockey world was surprised when Artemi Panarin was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for former Hawk, Brandon Saad, earlier this summer.

Many of his teammates had gone on record stating that they were saddened with the move, sentiments that were reiterated by Patrick Kane at the 10th annual Hawks convention, which took place last weekend, from July 21 to July 23. 

In a statement given to the Chicago Tribune earlier this summer, Toews welcomed the new addition:

"Getting an old teammate, an old friend back, another guy who shared that same bond, friendship, having the experience of winning a (Stanley) Cup together, I guess there's some reconciliation because you know what you're getting"

And when asked for a statement on the transaction, Stan Bowman's comments correlated those of the Hawks captain:

"There's no doubt they had tremendous chemistry. When Brandon first came in as a rookie he found a home there on Jonathan's left wing. That's really up to Joel where he wants to use them. It's comfortable knowing he had great success with Jonathan, and if they go back to that it's great."

But the Chicago Blackhawks revitalization does not solely come from re-energizing Toews, it also comes in the form of added playoff experience and the repatriation of home-brewed talent. 

The Hawks' season begins on October 5th, 2017 against the Pittsburgh Penguins.