Three Potential David Savard Trades Ahead Of NHL Trade Deadline
The Montreal Canadiens were able to pull off one big trade already and could become busy between now and the trade deadline which is next Friday. With just five days to go until rosters need to be locked in for the playoffs, contending teams will be desperately looking to make an addition to their lineup.
The Canadiens traded Sean Monahan to the Winnipeg Jets for a first round pick in 2024 and a conditional third round pick in the future that gets added if the Jets win the Stanley Cup this season. Monahan is fitting in well with seven goals in his first 11 games with the Jets, but the Canadiens are happy to have another high pick in a rebuilding season.
That trade came together quickly after Elias Lindholm was traded from the Calgary Flames to the Vancouver Canucks. Once that top center was off the market, teams turned their attention to Monahan to ensure they got something to help down the middle and were not left empty handed.
The same could happen with David Savard. Everyone knew Chris Tanev was going to be traded as he is a hard nosed right defensemen who plays a defense first style of game, hits, blocks shots and kills penalties.
Tanev was traded to the Dallas Stars for a second round pick and prospect Artem Grushnikov who was recently a second round pick himself. The Flames also received a conditional third round pick in that trade that they will get if the Stars make it to the Stanley Cup Final this season.
Tanev is a pending unrestricted free agent, and is a year older than Savard who is signed through next season at $3.5 million. That extra year could make Savard worth as much, if not a bit more than Tanev if a contending team has the cap space to bring him in and thinks he can help them in two playoff runs.
Who could fit that description, and what kind of a trade package could we expect for Savard? Let's take a look at three potential fits.
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche already have an incredible group of defenders but that doesn't mean they are content where they are. Since winning the Stanley Cup two years ago, they lost Erik Johnson who is a veteran right shot defenseman and they could look to replace him.
Apparently, they were one of the finalists in the running for Tanev, so it would make sense that they pivot to Savard and call the Canadiens next. They are the type of elite team that is thinking short term and would not be scared to move picks and prospects in a trade to acquire a player that can help them right now.
They already have an incredible top four with Cale Makar, Devon Toews, Sam Girard and Josh Manson, as well as Bowen Byram on the roster but could use a veteran right shot defender to play with Byram on the third pairing. They also traded away Kurtis MacDermid recently to open up a roster spot and could send down Caleb Jones to make just enough cap room for Savard.
This would give the Avalanche the deepest blue line in the league and make that a real strength going into the playoffs. The Canadiens could elect to retain some of the cap hit to make it a little more enticing for Colorado. Perhaps about $1 million just to give the Avs a tiny bit of wiggle room or the ability to call up a league minimum player to fill out their roster.
In return, the Canadiens would be looking for the Avalanche first round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers were also among the teams interested in Tanev, but did not land him. That makes them a potential trade partner with the Canadiens as they try to find an upgrade on right defense.
Rumours out there suggest the Oilers are looking to move out Cody Ceci to clear some cap space and could use that space to bring in a more reliable right defender. The Canadiens could addomodate that by taking on Ceci in a trade involving Savard, though it isn't ideal for the Habs since Ceci is signed through next season.
However, their cap hits are almost identical, so it would make the trade much easier to pull off. Then, the Canadiens could focus on a slightly better return than the Flames got for Tanev because they are also taking back a bad contract to make things work for the Oilers.
With the Oilers looking to round our their top four for a long playoff run, they would have to give up their first round pick in 2024 and a solid prospect like Raphael Lavoie to land Savard. The Canadiens could make it easier on the Oilers by retaining half of Savard's salary ($1.75 million) which would actually save Edmonton money and allow them to target an impact forward as well.
Lavoie is an interesting prospect as he is a skilled forward with size, but he struggled enough to pass through waivers earlier this season. He has rebuilt some value with a strong season in the AHL but also had zero points in seven NHL games this season. The Quebec native may never make it as a full time NHLer, but at 22 there is still time to develop into an NHL player.
Vancouver Canucks
The team that makes the most sense when it comes to trading David Savard is the Vancouver Canucks. There are several reasons this match makes sense as the Canucks were always in need of another right defender, lost Tyler Myers who is out week to week, and have already been aggressive in trading for Elias Lindholm.
They are a Stanley Cup contender that has some lightning in a bottle this season and needs to take advantage by going all in this season. They were in the running for Tanev and could be the team that pivots and offers a strong package for Savard to fill what they identified as a need.
What would a strong offer look like from the Canucks? Well, they have the cap space to make a deal straight up so there would not need to be any retention or added assets or three-way offers to complicate matters.
Instead, the Canucks could make a very similar offer the Stars did for Tanev. That would be a second round draft pick in 2025, a recent second round pick in Aatu Raty and a conditional fourth round pick in 2024 if the Canucks make the Stanley Cup Final this season.
Raty is a two-way forward who is 21 years old and has 13 goals and 35 points in 51 games with the Abbotsford Canucks of the AHL this season. He doesn't project as a big scorer, but could be a reliable two way threat on the bottom six of an NHL team in the near future.
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