Canadiens Rumors: Defenseman Prefers to Stay In Montreal

As we get closer to the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline, the Montreal Canadiens are a team that all fans will be watching. This is because they are rebuilding, and several players on their roster have come up in the rumor mill because of it. One of the most notable Canadiens that has been discussed in trade chatter is defenseman David Savard.

While teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs, Tampa Bay Lightning, Edmonton Oilers, Colorado Avalanche, and Dallas Stars have been linked to him, a Savard trade is far from guaranteed, as the Habs are not actively shopping him. With that, Elliotte Friedman also reported in his most recent 32 Thoughts column that teams around the NHL believe that Savard's preference is to stay with the Canadiens.

Savard would be a big-time addition to a playoff team, as he is an experienced defenseman who plays top-four minutes, is strong defensively, and can even contribute offensively a bit in the process. With that, he is a hard-hitting defenseman who is built for the playoffs. However, it appears that the veteran defenseman's hope is to stay with the Canadiens, given this report.

Savard, 33, has appeared in 34 games this season with the Canadiens, where he has four goals to go along with 13 points.

It will be interesting to see what happens with Savard from here. While there is no question that he would be a notable pickup for just about any team in the NHL, the Quebec native appears to want to continue to play in Montreal.