In the Canadian locker room, David Savard is not just a defender. He is an anchor, a guide, a reassuring presence for young people trying to find their bearings in a team in the process of rebuilding.
Tonight, as Montreal crosses swords with the Columbus Blue Jackets, history seems to be playing a strange turn.
Another beloved veteran of this family, Sean Monahan, returns to Montreal, but this time in the opponent’s uniform.
Monahan, in just a few months with the Canadian, had managed to forge strong bonds with the young people, serving as a mentor to them on the ice and in life.
Today, the Blue Jackets are counting on him to fill a huge void left by the tragic loss of Johnny Gaudreau, his best friend, with whom he was supposed to reconnect in Columbus.
But for the young people of CH, this return is a painful reminder: losing a “big brother” leaves its mark.
And now David Savard, one of the last pillars of experience in the locker room, could be the next to leave.
With the Canadian dead last in the NHL and a reconstruction dragging on, the idea of trading Savard for future assets is starting to take hold.
This morning, before the match, Savard showed once again why he is so respected in this locker room:
“I think we are playing better and better defensively, but here we have to concentrate on creating a little more chances. We have to find that balance between perhaps taking a little more risks, taking more shots, more plays to create more scores and chances without annoying our defense. »
This is the essence of Savard: a calm voice, a leader who always speaks in terms of the team, of collective progress.
But what will happen if this voice disappears?
It would be a difficult emotional and strategic void to fill, especially for young players like Lane Hutson.
This morning, Savard did not fail to highlight the character of the young defender:
“It doesn’t always go 100% well for Lane, but it seems like he always finds a way. […] It shows what a boy he has character. »
Simple words, but which speak volumes about Savard’s influence.
For these young people, he is more than a teammate; he is a model. A father figure in this locker room where instability has become the norm.
And if he were to leave, it would be a brutal test for this “family”.
Young people will have to take charge, not because they are ready, but because they will have no choice.
Sean Monahan left a lasting impression in Montreal, and tonight his return will remind young people of what they lost in him.
If David Savard were to leave in turn, it would be another blow, not only for performance on the ice, but for the identity of this team.
The big brothers are gradually disappearing, and the CH seems destined to have only one solution: for its young people to find their own way.
David Savard, still true to his role, seems ready to leave if it can help the team in the long term.
But the hole he will leave in this “family” will be deep.
And tonight, against Columbus, as another former brother returns home, the fragility of that transition is more evident than ever.
Amen !
