The writing was on the wall for Montreal Canadiens veteran defenseman David Savard. The 34-year-old looked slower this season, and his ice time significantly dropped. From an average of 20:14 last season, his average ice time dropped to 16:35, and he was a fixture on the bottom pairing.
Canadiens: Feels Like 2010?
Hutson Wins The Rookie Scoring Race
Canadiens: Presents For Brendan Gallagher
He still had a lot of impact on his teammates, as a veteran who could guide them and fill the “dad” role left vacant when Shea Weber called it quits. It’s a role he liked to fill, and he did it admirably. Asked to comment on the news, Habs coach Martin St-Louis said:
Savy’s a player I played against, and it happens to everyone. One of those days, you have to make that kind of decision. He’s a family man; I’m happy I had the opportunity to work with him. He brings a lot to our young group, and that kind of presence is not easy to replace. We’re happy we can extend his career a bit. For our vets, it’s essential to have that kind of opportunity. He did everything, got everything he deserved, and did everything with class.- Martin St-Louis on David Savard
With the likes of right-shot defensemen David Reinbacher and Logan Mailloux progressing in Laval, and with Kent Hughes having acquired Alexandre Carrier, it makes sense for Savard to bow out. He had already said any decision would involve his family, and he didn’t want to uproot them.
Drafted 94th overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets at the 2009 draft, he spent the best part of 10 seasons with the Ohio side before being traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning at the 2021 trade deadline. He helped the Bolts to retain the Stanley Cup, playing 20 games and beating the Canadiens 4-1 in the Cup final.
In 870 regular-season games, Big Play Dave, as Kirby Dach calls him, scored 242 points and picked up 467 penalty minutes. It’s obvious the word in the room now becomes “Win it for Dave,” and the announcement timing couldn’t have been better from a motivational standpoint.
Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, never to miss a story.
Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.
Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens.