Oilers expressing interest in Canadiens defenceman David Savard: report
The Montreal Canadiens aren’t eager to trade David Savard, but they have plenty of teams expressing interest.
One of those teams, as per David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, is the Edmonton Oilers. General manager Ken Holland has been hoping to add a top-four defenceman to his roster, and Savard fits the bill. They are by no means the only team interested, however.
“The Tampa Bay Lightning, Dallas Stars, Edmonton Oilers, and Toronto Maple Leafs are among the teams believed to have interest in Savard,” Pagnotta wrote.
Savard has one additional season remaining on his contract, which carries a team-friendly $3.5 million cap hit. The 33-year-old recently expressed his desire to remain a Hab but doesn’t have much say in the matter, with no sort of trade protection in his deal.
Savard has suited up for 37 games with the Canadiens this season, during which time he’s scored four goals and 13 points. He is averaging 20:22 minutes of ice time per game, which ranks third among all Canadiens defencemen.
Strong defensive play is the bread and butter of Savard’s game, as he is capable of shutting down top team’s opposing lines on a nightly basis. He is also terrific on the penalty kill, averaging 3:18 minutes per game when his team is down a man. That ability would be huge for the Oilers, whose penalty kill has struggled as of late.
From a cap perspective, the Oilers don’t have the room to bring in Savard unless the Habs are willing to retain roughly 50 percent of the deal. If not, Holland would have to part with a player on his roster or perhaps get a third team involved. Given the Oilers’ tight cap situation, adding Savard may take them out of the running for a top-six forward they are also reportedly seeking.