The Edmonton Oilers are in desperate need of a two-way defender to plug into their top-four group. The ideal right-shot option is Travis Hamonic, but he isn’t the only name out there this off-season. After acquiring Seth Jones this past season, the Columbus Blue Jackets created a situation where they opened up David Savard as a trading chip this off-season. Savard may not be a sexy name, but he’s a solid player who could really help the Oilers.
Why Is He Out There?:
After trading for Seth Jones, Columbus made a decision. Jones would be the franchise face on defense moving forward. Jones, like Savard, is a right-shot defender, which could make him expendable. The Jackets also have Jack Johnson and Ryan Murray on the roster, along with Zach Werenski coming down the pipe. Columbus has a solid D core with or without David Savard.
The Jackets have no centers, however. Moving Ryan Johansen stripped them of their only true top-six option, so they will no doubt be looking for a replacement this off-season. That’s where moving Savard could come into play.
What Does He Do Well?:
David Savard is an underrated player who rarely gets talked about. The Hockey News does a nice job of outlining players and their strengths. Here’s their scouting report on Savard:
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Savard shows well in the sense that he is both a strong puck mover and a strong two-way defender. Edmonton lacks two-way guys, they usually just have stay-at-home defenders or offensive guys with a lot of warts. David Savard isn’t a sexy player, but he can move the puck, contribute offensively and play a strong defensive game. Edmonton needs more of that.
The fact that he contributes on the powerplay is also a huge, huge point. The Oilers desperately need a threat from the point.
Where Will He Play / Where Should He Play?:
As a right-shot defender, Savard would immediately slide into Edmonton’s top-pairing along side Oscar Klefbom if he were to be acquired by the team at some point this summer. His TOI per game this season (23:10) suggests that he can handle that role and that he is likely suited to be a number two defender in this league.
I must admit, I haven’t had a lot of viewings of this player. From what I’ve seen of him, he appears to be a strong option that, at worst, can handle top-four duty. I can’t say for sure if he is ready for a top-pairing role, however. The good news? He is only 25 and still developing.
What Will He Cost?:
Columbus needs centers, so naturally a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins for David Savard trade will pop into the heads of people. I’ll admit, it was the first thing that came to mind. However, I think that would be an overpayment from the Oiler side.
If Edmonton won the lottery, I could see them and the Jackets exchanging picks and Savard being the price. Perhaps a Jordan Eberle for Savard trade will help both sides.
Closing Argument:
The odds of Edmonton acquiring Travis Hamonic this off-season, like many fans hope, is at best 50/50. Things change and very rarely do rumors that last so long come to fruition. The Oilers need to have a backup plan, and David Savard is as good as any.
He’s a young two-way defender who can come right in and play in the top-four for the Oilers. If they can get their hands on Savard this off-season, then they absolutely should try.
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