The Montreal Canadiens made several moves this summer that have greatly improved their roster. There are arguments popping up that they the Habs might enter the playoff picture this upcoming season, and improving their win total from last year is the bare minimum expectation. With newcomer Patrik Laine fortifying their top-six scoring and inking several young defensemen to new contracts, there’s plenty of reason for optimism for the NHL’s winningest franchise.
Despite the offseason upgrades, the Canadiens are still frequently in trade speculations and rumors. The majority of the talk centers around veteran defensemen David Savard. The 33 year-old defender is entering the final season his current contract and it’s unclear how he fits into Montreal’s plans for the future. With the uncertainty growing, Savard was once again named as one of the top trade candidates in the league by Lyle Richardson for Bleacher Report.
“Approaching the 2023 NHL Trade deadline, David Savard was the subject of frequent trade speculation,” he wrote. “The Canadiens retained Savard, who will start the final season of his four-year contract. Given the Habs’ status as a rebuilding team, he could end up on the trade block at some point as a playoff rental player. Savard missed 22 games last season due to injury but still logged a respectable 24 points with a plus-minus of minus-1 on the rebuilding Canadiens.”
Over his 14 seasons in the NHL and especially over the past three with the Canadiens, Savard’s earned a reputation for being one of the most consistent and dependable defenders. He’s a perennial 25-point producer while also being capable of playing valuable penalty killing time and defensive zone shifts.
Savard is now also used to bouncing around the league. Originally drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets, he spent the first 10 seasons of his career with the organization. He was a trade deadline acquisition by the Tampa Bay Lightning during their 2021 Stanley Cup run, and joined the Canadiens the following summer.
The speculation and rumors might be more reflective of Savard’s reputation around the league than any substantial conversations happening. Every team values right-handed defensemen, and Savard does a little bit of everything without costing too much. He’s every NHL team’s trade deadline dream, and the Canadiens will likely find themselves with plenty of suits for Savard throughout the 2024-2025 season.
