Kent Hughes assured that he was not hoping for the services of David Savard. However, with less than two weeks until the trade deadline, the 33-year-old defenseman remains the most interesting asset in the Canadian's squad.
What value could the guard known for his defensive reliability and sacrifice of his body have? Definitely a third round pick.
What offer could convince the Canadiens general manager to let go of a player who will have a significant impact on the culture the Habs team wants to establish? Good question.
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To answer this question, we asked the company Sportlogiq to compare Savard's outfit with that of Chris Tanev, Nikita Zadorov and Noah Hanifin, three defenders with a similar style to him.
similarities
According to several observers, Tanev is the defender of this type who is probably of most interest to teams looking to strengthen their defensive brigade.
Apparently, Flames general manager Craig Conroy is demanding a first-round pick for the 34-year-old defenseman's services.
However, the defensive statistics of the two athletes are similar.
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If the Flames defenseman is unashamedly dominant in the average number of loose pucks won per game (21.5 versus 15.8), Savard has nothing to envy in the other categories.
Tanev has the best in passes blocked (4.06), pucks spiked (0.81) and 1-on-1 battles won (2.17), while Savard has the best in blocked zone entries (3.76) and blocked shots (2nd). ,64) has the upper hand.
It is also a good idea to do the exercise with Zadorov. In November, the Canucks paid a third-round pick (2026) and a fifth-round pick (2024).
Once again, Savard dominates in blocked zone entries and blocked shots. Zadorov shines with speared pucks (1.20). Otherwise it is equivalent.
A Stanley Cup ring
In April 2021, Julien BriseBois, eager to solve the puzzle that would allow his Lightning to win their second straight Stanley Cup, acquired Savard in a three-team deal with the Blue Jackets and Red Wings in exchange for a fourth-round pick.
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At the time, Savard was entering the final season of a pact worth $4.25 million annually. The three-team trade should allow the Lightning to acquire him for a quarter of that amount.
This time Savard will receive a salary of $3.5 million. Among the four players mentioned above, he is the one with the cheapest contract and the only one whose contract is valid for another season.
He has three more campaigns under his belt and a Stanley Cup ring.
All of this is definitely worth something. And Hughes knows it.
