Saad (illness) will not suit up for Friday's tilt against the Capitals.

EDGE Analysis

Saad was unable to take part in Thursday's practice, which was the first indication that the star winger was likely dealing with some sort of ailment. It's been a relatively disappointing start to the season for Saad, who has only tallied four points (three goals, one assist) in Columbus' first 10 games of 2015-16. He will hope to be healthy enough to return to the Jackets' lineup Saturday against Winnipeg.

Saad scored his second goal of the season in Monday's 4-2 loss to the Sabres.

EDGE Analysis

One of the big offseason transactions of 2015 brought Saad to Columbus from the Blackhawks, and he's been impressive so far. At just 22 years old, Saad is a popular pick to explode this season playing alongside Ryan Johansen on the Jackets' top line, and he's off to a hot start already with two goals through the first three games.

Saad scored in his Blue Jackets' debut Friday, firing a third-period power-play tally past Henrik Lundqvist in a 4-2 loss to the Rangers.

EDGE Analysis

Well that didn't take long. As expected, Ryan Johansen joined in the fun with a secondary assist (Ryan Murray grabbed the primary helper). Owners have been licking their chops at the idea of Saad playing with Johansen and captain Nick Foligno, so it was nice to see the former Blackhawk find twine with his new team so early in the season. He also fired four shots on goal and spent a whopping 5:21 on the power play -- third only to (not surprisingly) Johansen and Foligno.

Saad scored two goals and added two assists in Monday's 5-2 preseason win over the Predators.

EDGE Analysis

The Blue Jackets top line of Saad, Ryan Johansen and Nick Foligno racked up nine points between them, and it appears as though the offseason trade to acquire the former Blackhawk is going to pay huge dividends right out of the gate.

Saad will suit up for Saturday's preseason contest against the Penguins.

EDGE Analysis

Saad returned to practice on Thursday with additional protection over his mouth to guard his grill from further damage, and will likely don the mouth guard once again in Saturday's preseason contest. The star 22-year-old winger registered 52 points (23 goals, 29 assists) in 82 games with the Blackhawks last season.

Saad (mouth) is skating Thursday, Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch reports.

EDGE Analysis

Saad is reportedly wearing a mouth guard, which should help him avoid further damage to his grill after a puck hit him in practice this past Monday. He'll miss Thursday's exhibition against the Wild, but this is not an injury that typically sidelines players for an extended period.

Saad (mouth) will miss Thursday night's exhibition contest against the Wild, Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch reports.

EDGE Analysis

Saad was hit in the grill with a puck in Monday's practice, and evidently he's still feeling the effects. With the regular season still in the distance, there wouldn't be much incentive for the Jackets to rush his recovery. The former Blackhawk has increased his point total in each successive year that he's been in the league, dating back to 2011-12. Provided he stays healthy, Saad should ring up around 50-60 points in the upcoming season.

Saad will miss Tuesday's exhibition game against the Blues after taking a puck to the mouth in Monday's practice, Aaron Portzline of The Columbus Dispatch reports.

EDGE Analysis

Saad reportedly suffered a chipped tooth and had other teeth bent back into his mouth as a result of the play. He underwent some dental treatment on Tuesday to treat the injury, and shouldn't miss much time with the ailment.

Saad signed a six-year, $36 million deal with the Blue Jackets on Friday, Yahoo! Sports reports. Saad, who was acquired in a trade with the Blackhawks earlier in the week, will make roughly $6 million per year despite never reaching the 30 goal plateau. He's just 22 years old, however, so Buffalo is betting that he'll continue to improve. Saad should team with Ryan Johansen to form a formidable tandem on the Blue Jackets' first line.

Saad was traded to the Blue Jackets on Tuesday, TSN's Bob McKenzie reports. The Blackhawks will receive forwards Artem Anisimov, Marko Dano, Jeremy Morin, and Corey Tropp along with a 2016 fourth-round draft pick in return, according to Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch reports. The Blackhawks experienced some traction in their initial extension talks with Saad, but the two sides were eventually expected to reach an agreement on a new deal. However, with the prospect of another team submitting a huge offer sheet to Saad -- a restricted free agent -- becoming a looming issue, the Blackhawks decided to try to get something back in return for the forward rather than lose him outright. After scoring 23 goals and 52 points in the regular season and submitting a strong playoff performance as the Blackhawks claimed the Stanley Cup, Saad was expected to assume an even greater role in 2015-16, but his circumstances shouldn't change too dramatically with his new team. Though he won't have the luxury of potentially playing alongside Jonathan Toews, Ryan Johansen is one of the league's top up-and-coming centers, and could help Saad elevate his game to new heights.