There’s probably one reason the Montreal Canadiens should trade David Savard. The market isn’t it. In fact, the market on right-handed shutdown defensemen, which has to a degree been set following the recent Chris Tanev trade, is probably a reason not to, when all is said and done.
For example, when the Calgary Flames also traded centre Elias Lindholm earlier this season, the Canadiens had a similar vested interest. They soon dealt fellow-centre Sean Monahan as arguably the second-best pivot available this trade deadline to secure a first-round pick.
Things are different this time.
Flames Set Trade Market Price
Obviously, the Flames far from received a critically acclaimed return for Tanev from the Dallas Stars/New Jersey Devils. They got a 2024 second-round pick, a conditional 2026 third-round pick (which only becomes a thing if the Stars reach the Stanley Cup Final) and second-tier-prospect Artem Grushnikov in exchange.
Can Grushnikov exceed expectations and become something more than the third-pairing defenseman he’s projected to develop into, per CapFriendly? Anything’s possible. And the second-round pick could also transform into a legitimate star at the NHL level. However, based on numerous studies, the chances of that pick developing into an above-replacement-level player are fairly low. So, assuming Flames GM Craig Conroy has even a basic foundation of knowledge regarding draft-pick quality, he was satisfied trading Tanev for a depth defenseman (as far as he knows now) and a lottery ticket.
That’s not exactly faith-instilling in terms of what Savard may fetch, especially when the underlying numbers (care of Natural Stat Trick) say he’s one of the worst Canadiens defensemen (if not the worst) in terms of possession. Granted, he’s been cast in that role of a stay-at-home rearguard, probably the only pure defensive defenseman on a bad defensive team right now.
As a result the Canadiens have simply placed Savard in situations that aren’t conducive to padded stats. However, Tanev was similarly leading his team in shorthanded time on ice per game too, filling a similar role. And, head to head, at least at even strength, things just don’t look good for Savard. Put simply, objectively speaking, he’s worse than Tanev.
About the only category in which Savard has an edge is goals (four to one). However, if you’re acquiring Savard for his goal-scoring prowess, you’re probably not in a playoff spot to start. You’re probably also probably on your way out as a general manager with a bad case of Rejean Houle-itis.
Why Trade Savard Now?
Savard does admittedly have a better contract, with a lower cap hit. However, when 75% of Tanev’s salary is getting retained, that kind of becomes a moot point. Savard also has one additional year under contract, whereas Tanev is a pending unrestricted free agent, which begs the question: Do the Canadiens absolutely have to trade Savard this year?
Related: Canadiens Should Leverage Salary Retention at Trade Deadline
Truth be told, Savard doesn’t have to go right now. Based on the ice time he gets, the Canadiens clearly value his defensive presence and leadership… and probably his Stanley Cup-winning experience, although that hasn’t done a lot of good the three non-playoff-appearance seasons he’s been in town. Just don’t tell prospective suitors that.
Stanley Cup experience is a big selling point regardless. It’s why the Canadiens do have an outside shot of getting something of a haul for Savard, at least at this time of year. GMs are desperate to make a splash in a bid to get that one player to push them over the top. They tend to overpay even for complementary bottom-of-the-lineup pieces, which Savard would be on any self-respecting contender. It’s also why he could maybe fetch more than fellow-Habs-defenseman Jordan Harris, despite Harris having just started out his career with so much theoretical runway left at Age 23.
In effect, that’s the one reason why the Canadiens should trade Savard, to avoid trading Harris just to clear up the logjam on defense. It’s so clogged on the left (Mike Matheson, Kaiden Guhle, Arber Xhekaj, Jayden Struble), Harris’ natural side, that the Habs have taken to playing him on the right, where Savard plays.
Savard More Expendable than Harris
Some may suggest that’s a sign Harris is expendable in the Canadiens’ eyes. However, it adds a degree of versatility to his game that they should value instead. It’s worth noting Matheson (left) and Guhle (right) have played together too. No one in their right mind would suggest the Habs are looking to trade Guhle, though. Nevertheless, Harris trade rumours have admittedly persisted.
Where there’s smoke there may admittedly be fire here. However, if it comes down to Harris or Savard, it should be abundantly clear Harris has more to offer the Canadiens overall, taking everything into consideration. If anyone believes the Habs will re-sign Savard once his contract expires in 2025, they’re willfully ignoring things like the make-up of the current roster, the team’s prospect pipeline, Savard’s age and overall quality of play and, well, logic.
That doesn’t mean Savard’s playing his last games with the Canadiens as we speak. It does mean context matters when weighing whether or not they should trade him, though (assuming willing trade partners are out there). If they do trade Savard though, it might be worth it… regardless of what they get back, because of what they currently have in Harris.