The Montreal Canadiens, as of Nov. 19, are only three points from a playoff spot. That’s good news considering the terrible start to the season. The bad news is there are seven teams between them and that final wild-card spot. This is what “being in the mix” was likely what general manager (GM) Kent Hughes meant when he said it’s where he wanted to be. Decisions in this area are not black and white, only grey.
Related: Lane Hutson Forcing Canadiens Front Office to Make a Decision on Mike Matheson
Firmly planted in that grey area is what to do with veteran players who are on expiring contracts. The one that will cause Hughes the most sleepless nights will be the decision on whether to keep David Savard or trade him.
Impact on the Canadiens
As Pierre LeBrun explained on Insider Trading, Hughes has started to make calls to other GMs and is gauging the current trade market in the NHL. “There’s pressure internally and externally to take a meaningful step this year,” said LeBrun. “And because of that, I don’t think the slow start is being ignored by the Habs. What I’m told from talking about GMs around the league, is that Kent Hughes has started to call around, is doing his due diligence, to get a sense of what’s potentially out there.”
So, Montreal is kicking tires on his value to other teams, but the value he brings to the Canadiens roster cannot be ignored. His veteran presence provides the very young blue line a stability it lacks, outside of him and Mike Matheson, no one is older than 24. Because of this, Savard’s presence gives management interesting options, such as allowing Lane Hutson to take a larger role on the roster and to trade Matheson for a high value. With the high level of performance Hutson has provided since his arrival, trading Matheson could be argued as making more sense than trading Savard. However, that is only a true possibility during this season so long as Hutson is supported by a veteran right-handed defender like Savard.
Savard Is a Tradeable Asset for Canadiens
Savard is the oldest member of the Canadiens’ defensive corps at 34 and is on an expiring contract that pays him $3.5 million this season. He will be 36 before the Canadiens can realistically be close to being a competitive club with an outside chance at a deep Stanley Cup run. His decline has slowly begun due to age and playing style, and adding a couple more seasons of mileage on his body, his decline from being a capable number four and a penalty killer will be too far along to justify him remaining in Montreal. The Canadiens are in the third year of their rebuilding process and while they do have a plethora of picks and one of the top prospect pools in the NHL, adding more wouldn’t hurt.
Only three seasons ago, during the 2021 COVID-19 pandemic-shortened season, he was traded by the Columbus Blue Jackets to the eventual Cup-winning Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning sent a first-round and third-round pick for renting his services. Montreal’s salary cap situation means they could take on some salary in return, or, they could use their final salary retention spot and retain 50% of his $3.5 million salary ($1.7 million) which is highly manageable.
According to RG.org’s Marco D’Amico, two NHL sources have told him that right-shot defensemen will be a rare commodity on the trade market, meaning they will be in high demand and have a very high value as it will be a seller’s market. A scenario that Hughes is capable of taking advantage of, especially with the 4 Nations Face-Off break, is a window where some contending GMs become most willing to integrate a new player into their rosters, providing a cushion of time to settle into town before they play a game.
The list of available right-shot defensemen is impressively limited. D’Amico’s sources listed Codi Ceci and Jan Rutta of the San Jose Sharks, Erik Johnson of the Philadelphia Flyers and, Montreal’s Savard. This limited market could mean that a team may be willing to part with a late first-round pick for Savard’s services (likely the asking price from the Canadiens to be willing to move on from him.) In the meantime, he remains in Montreal and provides mentorship to their very young NHL defenders. The fact he is still in Montreal points to the fact no GM has been willing to pay Hughes’ asking price.
You might ask, who could step in for Savard on the right side? Internally, Logan Mailloux is proving to be progressing beyond what the American Hockey League (AHL) can provide him. And, having a top-four slot available at the NHL level for the stretch run to the end of the regular season could provide him with what he needs to prepare for a permanent NHL role as soon as next season. Hughes can ensure he remains AHL eligible by doing a paper transaction, sending him down to the Laval Rocket at the 2025 Trade Deadline to keep him available to the Rocket for the Calder Cup playoffs.
Montreal does have the prospect depth to fill in NHL positions. However, that doesn’t mean it’s ideal for their development now. Also, Savard’s value to the Canadiens is high. This is why it will take a serious offer for Hughes to part with his veteran defenseman. However, with the market limitations, the age of the Canadiens core, the need to continue the rebuild, and the 34-year-old defender’s contract situation, his time with the club looks to end by the trade deadline.
