The Montreal Canadiens got an early start to the trade deadline this year, dealing Sean Monahan to the Winnipeg Jets for a pair of draft picks last week.
And the Canadiens, considered to be sellers, may not be done unloading veterans in exchange for future assets before March 8 rolls around.
One name that’s come up in the rumour mill is defenceman David Savard. But despite the 33-year-old’s trade value, the Habs seem to want to keep him around.
According to a new report from TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, Montreal is not committed to trading Savard, keeping the blueliner’s name out of recent discussions.
“I don’t believe that the Montreal Canadiens want to trade David Savard,” LeBrun said on Tuesday’s episode of Insider Trading. “I think they value him for all kinds of reasons within the organization. But, they are a retooling team and they’re on listening mode on a lot of players.”
Nevertheless, LeBrun says that the right offer could persuade Montreal GM Kent Hughes to change his mind, especially since the Habs have a surplus of young defencemen in their system.
“If someone really sends them an offer that makes them really think, then yeah, he could be dealt. But, at the moment, he’s not a player that the Habs bring up on their own to other teams,” he added. “They’re not committed to trading him.”
Currently signed to a contract paying him an average annual salary of $3.5 million, Savard first joined the Canadiens as a free agent in the 2021 offseason.
The St-Hyacinthe, Quebec, native has netted four goals and 11 points over 28 games with the Habs this year.
He is set to become a UFA at the end of the 2024-25 season.
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