The Montreal Canadiens have a handful of veteran players they could send packing before the March 8 trade deadline. Defenceman David Savard is one of them, but he’s hoping to stay put.
The 33-year-old Canadiens blueliner spoke about the harsh reality that may be coming his way in a recent interview with The Athletic.
“Obviously, I know it’s coming, and we’re going on a long road trip,” Savard said ahead of the Canadiens’ upcoming road trip. “It’s part of the business; you just never know what’s going to happen. I’m hoping to be here after March 8, but I know it happens quick sometimes. When you get older, you get in those situations where your name gets around.”
Despite what could be in the cards for him, the Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, native was clear about wanting to stay in Montreal.
“I want to be here, I want to stay here, and they know that. We’ll see what happens.”
As a Stanley Cup champion with an affordable cap hit of $3.5 million, Savard’s potential trade value is nothing to sneeze at.
And in the aftermath of a February trade that saw the rebuilding Canadiens receive a first-round pick from the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for Sean Monahan, many fans are hoping GM Kent Hughes makes another deal as the team continues its descent to the bottom of the NHL standings.
On the other hand, the value a guy like Savard brings to a locker room riddled with young defencemen might be higher than what he could fetch on the open market.
One of those youngsters is Arber Xhekaj, who sang his teammate’s praises in a recent interview with Pierre Houde of RDS.
“It’s the best. You always know where he’s gonna be. He’s always talking to you. He’s coaching you on the bench every shift,” Xhekaj said. “He’s a great guy and a great player.”
Johnathan Kovacevic reiterated Savard’s importance in an interview with Sportsnet this week, saying he thinks he’s “the best shot blocker in the NHL.”
Riding a record of 23-28-8, the Canadiens currently sit in 26th place in the NHL’s overall standings.
And with a top-five draft becoming a more realistic possibility than making the playoffs, the Habs will continue to look toward the future. Whether that future includes Savard remains to be seen.
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