March 10, 2024 | 11:40am ET
TheFourthPeriod.com
CANADIENS HELD ON TO SAVARD, DESPITE INTEREST
Canadiens GM Kent Hughes
The Montreal Canadiens attracted plenty of interest in veteran defenceman David Savard in the weeks and days leading up to Friday’s trade deadline, but the Habs were not itching to move him and ultimately kept him.
Canadiens GM Kent Hughes reiterated on Friday after the deadline when speaking with the media that Savard “wasn’t someone we were looking to trade,” and opted to hold on to him for at least the rest of this season.
"Like I’ve said, it was possible we could move him, but it wasn’t our objective,” Hughes said.
Several teams poked around on Savard, with clubs like the Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Tampa Bay Lightning and Dallas Stars among those that expressed interest over the last few weeks.
Savard, who has one more year left on his contract and comes with a $3.5 million salary cap hit, was ranked 21st on the TFP Trade Watch List. The Canadiens could explore moving him this off-season, perhaps around the NHL Draft, but Hughes mentioned that will depend on the levels of interest at that time.
“I think we’re trying to be – I don’t know if patient is the word – but we’re trying to make decisions for the right reasons. If that requires patience, we’re trying to do it. I look forward to the day that we’re buying, not selling,” he said.
“I don’t want to do it at the expense of doing it the right way.”
With 18 games in their regular-season, the Canadiens sit 26th in the League. Focus will soon shift towards off-season planning, a period in which the Habs have been active in making moves. Over the last two Drafts, the Habs acquired forwards Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook, and could look to further bolster their lineup this summer.
“I guess we’ve been buyers, to a certain degree, at the Drafts and sellers at the trade deadline,” Hughes explained. “If we see an opportunity again at the Draft, we’ll look to continue that path. Being a buyer at the trade deadline really depends on the performance on the ice.”