The 2024 year was supposed to be different for the Montreal Canadiens. They believed their rebuild was starting to end, and they wondered whether 2024 would end with them looking ahead to a run at the playoffs in 2025. The year ended with a string of wins that elevated them to sixth place in the Atlantic Division, but they are still seven points behind in a playoff race. This series will examine how each player performed over the 2024 calendar year. Next up is trade deadline candidate David Savard.
Mike Matheson isn't the only defenseman whose name has been circulating in trade talks throughout 2024. Savard is the most likely candidate to make his way out of Montreal before the trade deadline, as his contract runs out at the end of the season, and the Canadiens' use for Savard is running thin. Montreal has some right-shot defensemen in the pipeline, and Savard will want to chase another championship before he retires. Savard signed in Montreal believing the Canadiens would be competitive, but they have been rebuilding ever since.
Savard's 2024 has been successful, given the team's quality. There aren't many skaters on the Canadiens who have a positive plus/minus with one of the worst defensive units in the league, but Savard is closer than anyone else. Savard doesn't chip in much offensively, as he has just four goals and 22 assists in 78 games. However, he is just -2, which is an astounding stat with some of the lopsided blowout losses the Canadiens have taken in 2024. Savard will be valuable for a playoff team looking for a right-shot defenseman.
David Savard's 2024 Highlights
Savard saved one of his best performances for one of the final games of 2024. It was his first multi-point game of this season when he recorded a goal and an assist against his former team, the Columbus Blue Jackets. It was also his first goal of the season, albeit he isn't known for his goal-scoring abilities.
David Savard pots home his first goal of the season to get Montreal on the board! pic.twitter.com/KZ4g8fWnOL
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) December 24, 2024
It was only his second multi-point game of 2024. He also had a two assist performance in the third-last game of last season against the Ottawa Senators. Savard has an uncanny ability to suppress scoring opportunities and be steady as a rock on the backend. An occasional offensive explosion is just an added bonus.