David Savard - The Habs Trade Deadline darkhorse

David Savard's name is one that often comes up in conversations about the Montreal Canadiens Trade Deadline plans.

Eric Engels described Savard as a guy who will block shots with his face, and the host of The Sick Podcast, Tony Marinaro didn't argue that. Savard's still very valuable to the Canadiens, because he is a meat and potatoes player, who battles in the trenches each night. He is a great example for the young guys because he goes and does the things that suck because it helps the team.

Savard might not have been a shutdown extraordinaire during his run to the Stanley Cup final, in which the Tampa Bay Lightning won. That would be Victor Hedman, but when the Lightning needed a timely shot block or important penalty kill, Savard was always an option. For a team hoping just to tune up their roster with an underrated addition, Savard checks a lot of boxes.

He is the type of player who can play in your bottom four defence pairs, and mentor the younger players. But his value is also an asset to have in the locker room, for players that haven't played in a Stanley Cup final. Savard's presence alone has a calming effect on his defensive partner because he does the simple things with expertise and consistency.

I also like the fact that there aren't many teams with a player who does what Savard does that are open to parting ways with him. It's a rather curious question, however, in asking what is his value on the trade market. The rumour is that Kent Hughes wants a second round pick for Joel Armia and another for Jake Evans.

For my money, while it would be a little bit of a hit on the blueline, the Canadiens could deal with it, if they get a first-round pick for him. Logan Mailloux will always need to work on his defensive reads and positioning, but he has taken significant strides. I don't think that it would hurt Mailloux to play the remainder of the season with the Canadiens.

Montreal will also have a defenseman who sits in the press box as a healthy scratch each game once Kaiden Guhle returns, so he would appreciate the increased ice time. As we speak that is often Struble, and Kent Hughes's decision to trade Jordan Harris displayed his trust in Struble. I think that playing Struble more wouldn't hurt him, and it could allow management to gauge his potential.

I don't see a scenario where trading Savard for at least a second-round pick doesn't benefit the club. And Hughes has reportedly expressed his interest in acquiring young roster players over picks and prospects. Having said that, Hughes is willing to work the phones and negotiate to extract the most value out of Savard.

And I think that Savard deserves a chance to compete for a Stanley Cup before he retires, which could be a season-to-season decision for the 34-year-old, who turns 35 at the beginning of the 2025-26 season.

Habs should sell UFA's and lean on prospects

I am in the group that believes trading Joel Armia and Jake Evans would fetch a tremendous return. But I think the benefits go beyond that because there are some players down in the American Hockey League that deserve a look in the NHL. Letting the young guys get some valuable ice time in the NHL, and acquiring pieces to improve the team in one move makes a lot of sense for the Canadiens.

Right now I think that Owen Beck can fill the role that Evans is currently holding, and if not Beck, there are options in Laval. I also think that Christian Dvorak should be moved, in my opinion, this team isn't quite ready to compete. Make trades to get some kind of return, instead of letting guys walk for nothing in the summer.

Oliver Kapanen will be at training camp in September with high hopes of playing for the Canadiens all year. While that solves very little right now, it does mean the Habs just need to call up a centre for the final 26 games of the season. Subtract a couple depending on the date of a prospective trade.

Jared Davidson has been fantastic down with the Rocket, and guys like Alex Barré-Boulet and Rafael Harvey-Pinard will be ready if called upon. I also like the idea of giving Luke Tuch and/or Florian Xhekaj a chance to play in the NHL for the final 15-20 games. I can't imagine that the Bell Centre faithful would be unhappy watching the Xhekaj brothers playing in the same sweater together.