Chicago Blackhawks: What to Expect from Brandon Saad's NHL Playoff Debut

The Chicago Blackhawks are down a couple of forwards heading into Game 4 of their Western Conference quarterfinal series with the Phoenix Coyotes. Marian Hossa has been ruled out by coach Joel Quenneville, Wednesday afternoon.

Enter Brandon Saad.

The 2011 second-round pick, largely considered to be a draft-day feather in general manager Stan Bowman's cap, was recalled on Monday, following the close of his junior season. Saad practiced with the Blackhawks on Wednesday, prompting speculation that he will be in the lineup Thursday night.

Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune posted that Hossa was indeed out and that there was a "good chance" that Saad would soon be in the lineup. Jesse Rogers of ESPNChicago.com tweeted that Quenneville was planning on playing Saad in Game 4.

Saad has exactly two games of NHL experience, having made the team out of training camp. He was sent down to the Saginaw Spirit of the OHL with no points in just over 28 minutes of ice time.

Saad had eight goals and nine assists in 12 playoff games to go with 76 points and a plus-35 rating in 44 regular season contests. At 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, the 19-year-old has the physical package to play in the NHL. He'd better, because this has been and will continue to be a hard-hitting series.

Where Saad lines up is open to discussion. He's not exactly checking-line material, and Michael Frolik had a heck of a game in place of Shaw on Tuesday night. This would suggest that Quenneville has top-six aspirations for the rookie.

With whomever Quenneville elects to match Saad depends on how he decides to compose his lines in the face of a 2-1 series deficit. Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane were separated for Game 3, but Hossa's injury could put them back together on the top line with Saad. With Quenneville, Saad will likely see time with a host of linemates.

How much impact could Saad have on the series? It isn't fair to expect him to jump into the middle of this fracas and keep up with the Coyotes. Saad wasn't a huge factor back in his short stint with the team in October. The 'Hawks shouldn't expect him to fill the skates of Hossa.