Montreal Canadiens Set to Trade Beloved Veteran This Season Per Top NHL Insider Pierre LeBrun
David Savard has been on the Montreal Canadiens since signing a four-year deal in 2021, but his time in his home province may be coming to an end.
A heavy and rugged, albeit a tad slow defenseman has been subject of trade rumours for almost his entire time in Montreal, but now, as a pending UFA, it appears his tenure is coming to an end.
Per top NHL insider Pierre LeBrun, the acquisition of fellow Quebecois defenseman Alexandre Carrier from the Nashville Predators implies that this is the year Savard will be traded:
"He's a pending UFA, David Savard. There have not been any talks at all between Habs management and Savard's camp about a potential one-year extension."
What Savard brings to a team cannot be understated; he is more than just a steady player, he is a phenomenal leader and locker room presence, who was brought in by the Tampa Bay Lightning for their cup run in 2021 for a reason.
The 800-game NHL veteran can swallow difficult minutes against top competition, especially on the penalty kill, and that could be a hole many contenders need to fill.
The price for Savard could feasibly move up to a first round pick depending on interest and competition, as he plays a desirable position and style.
With it being so likely the Canadiens move on from Savard, the real question isn't whether he'll move, but where.
| G | A | PTS | ||
| Mark Scheifele | 3 | 1 | 4 | |
| Kyle Connor | 2 | 2 | 4 | |
| Sidney Crosby | 1 | 3 | 4 | |
| Rasmus Dahlin | - | 4 | 4 | |
| Dylan Holloway | 3 | - | 3 | |
| Jack Hughes | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| Jirí Kulich | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| Jonathan Marchessault | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| Brad Marchand | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Kirill Marchenko | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Rickard Rakell | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Filip Forsberg | - | 3 | 3 | |
| Sean Monahan | - | 3 | 3 | |
| Gabriel Vilardi | - | 3 | 3 | |
| Zachary Werenski | - | 3 | 3 | |
| Michael Bunting | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Elias Pettersson | 2 | - | 2 | |
| John Tavares | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Dmitry Voronkov | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Charlie Coyle | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Complete stats | ||||
| STANDINGS 2024-2025 | ||||||
TOP 10 | GP | W | L | OL | PTS | |
Jets | 36 | 25 | 10 | 1 | 51 | |
Golden Knights | 34 | 23 | 8 | 3 | 49 | |
Devils | 37 | 23 | 11 | 3 | 49 | |
Capitals | 34 | 23 | 9 | 2 | 48 | |
Wild | 35 | 21 | 10 | 4 | 46 | |
Panthers | 36 | 22 | 12 | 2 | 46 | |
Oilers | 34 | 21 | 11 | 2 | 44 | |
Maple Leafs | 35 | 21 | 12 | 2 | 44 | |
Hurricanes | 34 | 21 | 12 | 1 | 43 | |
Kings | 34 | 19 | 10 | 5 | 43 | |
| Conference | Cumulative | ||||||