David Savard

David Savard
Savard with the Montreal Canadiens in 2021
Born	(1990-10-22) October 22, 1990 (age 33) Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight	238 lb (108 kg; 17 st 0 lb)
Position	Defence
Shoots	Right
NHL team Former teams	Montreal Canadiens Columbus Blue Jackets Tampa Bay Lightning
National team	Canada
NHL draft	94th overall, 2009 Columbus Blue Jackets
Playing career	2010–present

David Savard (born October 22, 1990) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the fourth round, 94th overall, by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. Savard has also previously played for the Tampa Bay Lightning and won the Stanley Cup with the Lightning in 2021.

Playing career

Amateur

Savard was born in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec. As a youth, he played in the 2003 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Collège Antoine-Girouard, and in the 2004 event with the Richelieu Éclaireurs.^[1]

Savard was drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the fourth round, 94th overall, of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft after his second season in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) where he was known as a reliable defenceman with strong defensive skills.^{[citation needed]}

The following season, at the urging of the Blue Jackets, Savard started to support the offence more, aiming to become a more complete player. Consequently, he was awarded many trophies at the end of his third junior season, such as the Émile Bouchard Trophy rewarding the best QMJHL defensive defenceman, and the Kevin Lowe Trophy awarded to the best QMJHL defenceman, while finishing first in league scoring among defencemen, establishing a league record for assists as a defenceman.^{[citation needed]}

In the same year, Savard was selected to participate in the Subway Super Series, wearing a Quebec jersey in the tournament. He was named the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) best defenceman, recognizing his remarkable season with the Moncton Wildcats of the QMJHL in 2009–10.^[2]

Professional

Columbus Blue Jackets

Savard with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2013

The next year, still being eligible to play for a junior team, the Columbus Blue Jackets assigned Savard to play with the Springfield Falcons, the team's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate. After an excellent pro training camp, the Blue Jackets decided Savard would progress faster at the AHL level, following his high marks in junior hockey the former year.^[3]

Savard then donned Springfield Falcons colours in the American Hockey League during the 2010–11 season, where he finished as the team's top-scoring defenceman, and second among the league's rookie defencemen.^[4]

Savard scored his first career NHL goal on February 7, 2012, against Minnesota Wild goalie Niklas Bäckström. After playing 31 games during the 2011–12 season at the age of 21, he was slowed by an injury suffered in December 2012, shortly before the 2012–13 NHL lock-out's resolution. At the Blue Jackets' camp, he was not able to do justice at the beginning of a season that was going to be shortened, but still managed to be in the lineup for four of the team's 48 games. He spent the majority of the 2012–13 season with Springfield.^[5]

On July 15, 2013, as a restricted free agent, Savard was re-signed to a one-year, two-way contract with the Blue Jackets.^[6]

Savard played his first full NHL season with the Blue Jackets during the 2013–14 season, registering 15 points in 70 games. On July 5, 2014, Savard signed a two-year contract with the Blue Jackets.

On September 15, 2015, Savard signed a five-year, $21.25 million contract extension with the Blue Jackets. In the 2016–17 season, Savard led the entire NHL in plus–minus at +33.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Entering the final year of his contract in the pandemic delayed 2020–21 season, Savard, in his tenth season with the Blue Jackets, collected 1 goal and 6 points through 40 regular-season games. Approaching the NHL trade deadline, Savard was involved in a three-way trade, being initially dealt to the Detroit Red Wings with 50% of his salary retained in exchange for Brian Lashoff, before he was flipped to the Tampa Bay Lightning with his salary further retained by the Red Wings in exchange for a 2021 fourth-round pick. The Lightning sent the Blue Jackets a 2021 first-round pick and a 2022 third-round pick in exchange for Lashoff to complete the transaction on April 10, 2021.^[7] He and the Lightning would then go on to win the Stanley Cup, with Savard registering 5 points in 20 playoff games, including an assist on Ross Colton's Cup-clinching goal in game 5.

Montreal Canadiens

After winning the Stanley Cup with the Lightning, Savard would leave in free agency to sign with the Montreal Canadiens on a four-year, $14 million deal on July 28, 2021.^[8] Brought into the lineup at the same time as longtime team captain Shea Weber was placed on long-term injured reserve, Savard was regarded as part of the attempt to compensate for that loss. He became a focus of criticism from fans in the midst of a historically poor season for the team.^[9] On January 29, 2022, it was announced that Savard would miss eight weeks of the season due to an ankle injury.^[10]

International play

Savard was a member of Canada's gold medal-winning team at the 2015 World Championships, where they won the title for the first time since 2007 with a perfect 10-0 record.^[11]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2006–07	Séminaire St-François Blizzard	QMAAA		44	10	16	26	52		18	1	12	13	10
2007–08	Baie-Comeau Drakkar	QMJHL		35	1	6	7	22		—	—	—	—	—
2007–08	Moncton Wildcats	QMJHL		32	0	5	5	18		—	—	—	—	—
2008–09	Moncton Wildcats	QMJHL		68	9	35	44	33		10	5	5	10	10
2009–10	Moncton Wildcats	QMJHL		64	13	64	77	36		21	1	14	15	8
2010–11	Springfield Falcons	AHL		72	11	32	43	18		—	—	—	—	—
2011–12	Springfield Falcons	AHL		44	4	18	22	72		—	—	—	—	—
2011–12	Columbus Blue Jackets	NHL		31	2	8	10	16		—	—	—	—	—
2012–13	Springfield Falcons	AHL		60	5	26	31	40		8	2	3	5	8
2012–13	Columbus Blue Jackets	NHL		4	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
2013–14	Columbus Blue Jackets	NHL		70	5	10	15	28		6	0	4	4	4
2014–15	Columbus Blue Jackets	NHL		82	11	25	36	71		—	—	—	—	—
2015–16	Columbus Blue Jackets	NHL		65	4	21	25	45		—	—	—	—	—
2016–17	Columbus Blue Jackets	NHL		74	6	17	23	44		5	0	1	1	4
2017–18	Columbus Blue Jackets	NHL		81	4	12	16	32		6	0	0	0	0
2018–19	Columbus Blue Jackets	NHL		82	8	16	24	36		10	1	2	3	4
2019–20	Columbus Blue Jackets	NHL		68	0	11	11	35		10	0	3	3	2
2020–21	Columbus Blue Jackets	NHL		40	1	5	6	24		—	—	—	—	—
2020–21	Tampa Bay Lightning	NHL		14	0	0	0	0		20	0	5	5	6
2021–22	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		62	3	14	17	36		—	—	—	—	—
2022–23	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		62	3	17	20	40		—	—	—	—	—
2023–24	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		60	6	18	24	24		—	—	—	—	—
NHL totals				795	53	174	227	431		57	1	15	16	20

International

Medal record
Representing  Canada
Ice hockey
World Championships
	2015 Czech Republic

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2015	Canada	WC			10	0	4	4	6
Senior totals					10	0	4	4	6

Awards and honours

Award	Year	Ref
CHL
CHL Defenceman of the Year	2010	[2]
First All-Star Team	2010	[12]
QMJHL
Emile Bouchard Trophy	2010	[13]
Kevin Lowe Trophy	2010	[14]
First All-Star Team	2010	[15]
NHL
Stanley Cup champion	2021	[16]
Montreal Canadiens
Jacques Beauchamp Molson Trophy winner	2023, 2024	[17][18]

References

1. "Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA" (PDF). Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 6, 2019. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
2. "Savard named CHL Defenceman of the year". CHL.ca. Moncton Wildcats. May 21, 2010. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
3. Brown, Gary (October 29, 2010). "Rookie defensemen playing key role with Springfield Falcons". Mass Live. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
4. Drottar, Patrick (December 21, 2011). "Columbus Blue Jackets: A Look at the Team's Up-and-Coming Rookies". Bleacher Report. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
5. "Jackets recall Savard before he gets to AHL". Sportsnet.ca. April 18, 2013. Retrieved July 25, 2024 – via NHL.com.
6. "Savard Signs 1-Year Deal". The Columbus Dispatch. July 15, 2013. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
7. "Savard traded to Lightning in multi-team deal". TSN.ca. April 10, 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
8. "Four-year contract for defenseman David Savard". Montreal Canadiens. July 28, 2021. Retrieved July 28, 2021 – via NHL.com.
9. Berkshire, Andrew (November 10, 2021). "By the numbers: First appearances deceiving for Habs blue-liner Savard". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
10. "Habs D Savard out eight weeks with ankle injury". TSN.ca. January 29, 2022. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
11. "Canada's National Men's Team wins gold medal at 2015 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship". Hockey Canada. May 17, 2015. Retrieved December 14, 2016.
12. "Awards - CHL First All-Star Team". Eliteprospects.com. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
13. "WILDCATS RIGHT ON "Q" AT AWARDS GALA". CHL.ca. Moncton Wildcats. March 31, 2010. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
14. "Team Awards". CHL.ca. Moncton Wildcats. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
15. "Hoffman named MVP of the QMJHL". Sportsnet.ca. April 1, 2010. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
16. Kaplan, Emily (July 8, 2021). "Tampa Bay close out Montreal Canadiens to win second straight Stanley Cup". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
17. "David Savard wins Jacques Beauchamp-Molson Trophy". Montreal Canadiens. April 13, 2023. Retrieved July 14, 2024 – via NHL.com.
18. "David Savard wins Jacques Beauchamp-Molson Trophy". Montreal Canadiens. April 16, 2024. Retrieved July 14, 2024 – via NHL.com.

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Dmitri Kulikov	Emile Bouchard Trophy 2009–10	Succeeded by Simon Després
Preceded by Maxime Ouimet	Kevin Lowe Trophy 2009–10	Succeeded by Andrew Randazzo
Preceded by Jonathon Blum	CHL Defenceman of the Year 2009–10	Succeeded by Ryan Ellis