SPECIAL COLLABORATION
David Savard is obviously a player that fans have become attached to and it’s easy to see why. A native of Sainte-Hyacinthe, his style of play has everything it takes to please the old school. Savard never hesitates to throw himself in front of an opposing shot if the situation demands it and makes life difficult for anyone trying to enter Montreal Canadiens territory. He plays an important role on the penalty kill and, although he is not the most dynamic in the world with the puck, he is among the defensemen who commit the fewest turnovers in the NHL. He also brings experience to a young team, especially on the right side which is quite thin on options at the moment.
In the fourth year of a 4-year contract worth $3.5 million per season, there is no doubt that the Canadiens got their money’s worth from David. Only Nick Suzuki has seen more playing time than Savard since 2021-22 and he has brought key experience to a young roster during a difficult period. But now that his contract expires at the end of the season and CH is once again at the bottom of the standings, transaction rumors are starting to swirl.
Trading a crowd favorite is always difficult, but in Savard’s case, it’s the only logical option for management that has an eye toward long-term success.
Savard won’t play forever
At 34 years old and with a style of play that is physically taxing, the harsh reality is that Savard’s career is coming to an end. Only 27 defenders are older than him this season. As much as I would love to see him play on the third pairing when the team’s rebuild is complete, it’s simply not a realistic option.
Although the Canadiens’ reconstruction is progressing, we are not yet at the point where we expect to be one of the favorite clubs next year. A player’s effectiveness rarely increases after his 35th birthday and I would be very surprised if Savard were an exception. If he was 31, or if Montreal was in the playoff race, it would be a different conversation, but we have to remember the long term plan. Montreal wants to build a foundation that can help the club be competitive for the next decade. A defenseman who turns 35 next season is simply not part of this plan.
Difficult, but necessary decisions
A key trait of the best organizations is that they can make the tough decisions for the good of the team. Take the Tampa Bay Lightning, for example. They have let key players from their dynasty leave in recent summers, with Steven Stamkos, Alex Killorn, and Ondrej Palat all moving on. There is no doubt that many fans would have wanted to keep these familiar faces in place. Fast forward to today and all three are having tough, big-money seasons for their new rosters, while the Lightning are once again right in the thick of the race. I don’t think Julien BriseBois regrets having made these unpopular decisions.
He obviously didn’t trade these players at the deadline since his club is still in the race, but he didn’t let feelings prevail over reason. The CH will most likely be out of the playoff race by the deadline in a little less than three months. If so, selling Savard to the highest bidder should be a priority for Kent Hughes. At 3.5 million (less if he decides to use his last available salary retention), right-handed, with experience and a Stanley Cup ring to his name, there is no doubt that several clubs will be interested in his services to strengthen their defensive brigade. In my opinion, Hughes has a pretty good track record on the trade market and I am confident that he will be able to find a serious buyer for Savard.
In addition, nothing prevents Savard from returning to CH during the summer. We’ve already seen this with Antoine Vermette, who was traded from the Coyotes to the Chicago Blackhawks at the deadline, helping them win the Stanley Cup in 2015, before returning to Arizona as a free agent that same summer, allowing his club from having a first round pick to essentially renting him for 20 games in a season where they finished second to last in the NHL. Savard will be a free agent without compensation this summer and will therefore have free choice of his destination.
Hughes has no need to look to trade Savard in the coming days. He remains a valued veteran in the locker room who gives big minutes of honest effort to the organization and helps protect the young players. But if he’s still in the organization after March 7, I believe it’s a missed opportunity by Hughes to add pieces that could help the Canadiens long term, whether it’s a prospect, a draft pick , or a coin that it uses in another transaction.