The Columbus Blue Jackets come back from Labor Day weekend with a new five-year deal in place for defenseman David Savard, the team announced on Tuesday.
The team did not disclose terms of the deal, but the Columbus Post-Dispatch’s Aaron Portzline reports that the deal carries an AAV of $4.25 million, with the spread outlined below. The deal helps the Jackets lock up another piece of their young core, buying up three years of Savard’s UFA status.
#CBJ David Savard numbers: $3.5M in 2016-17, $4M in 2017-18, $4.75M in 2018-19, $5M in 2019-2020 and $4M in 2020-21.
— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) September 8, 2015
Savard completed his second full NHL season last year, playing all 82 games, blowing away previous career-highs with 11 goals and 36 assists.
Savard is a key piece for Columbus, with little progress made over the summer on improving the Columbus blue line. Their forward group is very intimidating and there are a lot of solid pieces on defense, but they’re without a true top pairing and a number one guy. Though GM Jarmo Kekalainen has pointed out that with the defense healthy at the end of last season — also after trading away James Wisniewski — the team finished strong with the defense performing above expectations.
Congrats to David Savard (@dsavy58) on his new five-year extension! #CBJ
FULL STORY: http://t.co/MYyksEhTbP pic.twitter.com/EFs35uDw4Z
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) September 8, 2015
