David Savard of the Montreal Canadiens is likely to be moved before the NHL Trade Deadline (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
The NHL Trade Deadline is still a few months away, but the trade market is already beginning to take shape, as the NHL season continues.
It’s too soon to determine with certainty which teams will be selling off assets between now and March, but, by American Thanksgiving, you can get a pretty good idea of where things are headed.
It wouldn’t shock anyone to know that the likes of the San Jose Sharks, Chicago Blackhawks and Montreal Canadiens are the leading candidates to unload some expiring contracts for some prospects and picks.
Generally speaking, when it comes to the playoffs, contending teams will want to load up at center, but also on defense. Last season saw some rush moves by contending teams to acquire top-six centers early to avoid getting into bidding wars.
Thin Rental Market
According to two NHL sources, this year’s frenzy will likely be due to the scarcity of available right-shot defensemen.
“It’s not a very deep pool of available rentals from what we can see,” said an NHL source from the Western Conference to RG. “Right now, I see San Jose and Montreal having the best assets in that department, but the season is still young.”
As of right now, the list of available right-shot defensemen on expiring contracts is not long. You have Cody Ceci and Jan Rutta in San Jose, David Savard in Montreal, Dante Fabbro in Columbus, and Erik Johnson in Philadelphia as experienced right-shot defensemen with playoff experience.
Both sources of the group pointed to David Savard as the player that jumps out the most.
“He’s a Cup-winning, top 4, right-shot defenseman,” said the source. “I don’t know if we’d necessarily pay a 1st-round pick for him, but another team with real Cup aspirations surely could without anyone raising an eyebrow. From what I’m hearing and seeing, Savard will likely be moved.”
That source wasn’t alone. One scout admitted that his club had discussed David Savard with the Canadiens since the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline.
“We took a good look at Savard last year but couldn’t pull the trigger,” said the second source out of the Eastern Conference.
“That extra year on his contract and our cap structure just didn’t mesh. But, as a pure rental? I think those talks likely pick up again in February. He’s a shot-blocking machine and someone you can stick on your 2nd or 3rd pair in a pinch. That’s worth gold in the playoffs.”
Decisions, Decisions
The Montreal Canadiens don’t appear to be in any rush to sacrifice the future to improve their team, so it’ll take a significant turnaround for them not to be sellers in March.
And they haven’t yet made a decision about Savard’s future either, as they themselves are on the lookout for an age-appropriate top 4, right-shot D to grow with their young core.
However, at 34 years old, the Canadiens may have no choice but to move on in this case, as Savard will likely be retired by the time the team is truly ready to compete.
“If they can get a 1st-round pick or a good prospect for him, I don’t see why the Canadiens don’t make the move,” said the NHL source in the Western Conference. “They’re almost dead last with only Laine out with injury. Something’s got to give.”
It’s worth noting that Savard was kept out of Saturday night’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets due to an upper-body injury. The Canadiens rearguard has made a habit of playing an aggressive and physical game; often playing through injury for the team's good. On Monday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers, he returned to the ice and played 20:52.
The fact that the Canadiens kept Savard out of the lineup on Saturday was a sign that they don’t want their prized asset to needlessly worsen an injury that could potentially impact him long-term, be it from a playing or asset management perspective.
“Between Ceci and Savard, those will likely be the two rentals you’ll hear the most about for right-shots between now and then,“ said the source out of the Eastern Conference. “It’s not the strongest class of rentals, but Mike Grier and Kent Hughes will work that market to get what they need.”
The other well-placed source agreed, but with a twist.
It’ll be interesting to see what the Canadiens decide to do with their pending free agents like Jake Evans and David Savard; however, both sources agree that the Canadiens will again be busy heading into the trade season.
Marco D'Amico is a beat reporter covering the Montreal Canadiens and the NHL Draft, while also being a recurring guest on TSN690 and BPM Sports. His work primarily on NHL CBA breakdowns and prospect analysis, all while covering the Montreal Canadiens on a day-to-day basis.
