Brandon Saad has earned a spot on the Chicago Blackhawks' opening game roster. Saad was a long shot to make the team out of training camp, but he forced his way onto the roster with his preseason play. Saad has done so well, that Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville decided to give him Sunday's exhibition game off. "We figured if we're going to start with him, we wanted to give him a break," Quenneville said. "He put himself in a pretty good spot." Of course, just because Saad made the team doesn't mean his spot is secure. The team will begin the season without Dan Carcillo (suspension) and Viktor Stalberg (leg). If Saad starts the season off on a cold streak, then he'll probably get sent down to the junior level when those two return.