Marc Bergevin should sign David Savard for next season!
One of the big differences between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Montreal Canadiens is the depth on the blue line. On the one hand, Jon Cooper's team can count on the duo of Mikhail Sergachev and David Savard as a third pair of defensemen, while Dominique Ducharme is currently content with Jon Merrill and Erik Gustafsson.
On the quality of scoring chances and shots given to the opposition, there is a noticeable difference. With the imminent departure of Tomas Tatar and the various personnel moves for the upcoming campaign, Marc Bergevin will have to make some choices. While many feel that he needs to improve his offense, some experts believe that adding a quality defenseman will help the group.
The reality is that no team in the NHL has that pair of defensemen on their third unit. While Rutta and Cernak may be considered less talented than the two defensemen named above, they play with Victor Hedman and Ryan McDonagh, so let's just say it helps stabilize the game.
Let's get back to David Savard. He had agreed to a five-year pact that would pay him an average annual salary of $4.25 million. At 30 years old, the defenseman could sign another three or four year deal with a similar salary. Although he is not spectacular offensively, he is a safe bet on the blue line. He could very well strengthen the brigade for the next campaign.
In game number 3, he applied a solid check to Tricolore forward Corey Perry. Number 94 was pulverized at the boards. That's what David Savard is all about, a tough defenseman who fights for the puck and a guy who likes to play physical.
With Weber, Petry, Edmundson and Chiarot, let's say David Savard could guide a guy like Alexander Romanov on the third pair in Montreal. As a right-handed defenseman, he could allow Romanov to play on the left side. After all, he's a lefty. The Tricolore could try to let him play at his position rather than trying to turn him into a right-handed defenseman.
| POLL | ||
Should Bergevin go all out next season if the Habs miss on the Stanley Cup? | ||
| Yes | 45 | 47.4 % |
| No | 50 | 52.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
