David Savard (David Kirouac-Imagn Images) [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/fc35ca9d-719f-4c39-aaa4-24858b125ac6.jpeg] David Savard (David Kirouac-Imagn Images) Montreal Canadiens defenseman David Savard announced he will retire after the playoffs on Friday. The 34-year-old told Canadiens [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens] management of his intentions a few weeks ago, according to TVA’s Renaud Lavoie [https://x.com/renlavoietva/status/1913258133180326038]. In 75 games this season, Savard recorded one goal and 15 points. He has averaged 16:35 this season, his lowest ice time average since his first two seasons in the NHL. Savard played 870 regular-season games in 14 seasons for three different clubs. The 34-year-old represented the Tampa Bay Lightning [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning] for 14 games during the 2020-21 season. He also played 10 seasons for the team that selected him 94th overall in the 2009 NHL draft, the Columbus Blue Jackets [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/columbus-blue-jackets]. These upcoming playoffs will be the seventh and final time Savard hunts for a Stanley Cup. His last post-season appearance was with the Lightning in 2021, where the team won their second straight Stanley Cup, defeating Montreal. Since then, Savard joined the Canadiens as a free agent in the summer of 2021 and was added to become a veteran presence for the young Habs. This will be the team’s first playoff appearance since they advanced to the final four years ago. The St-Hyacinthe, Que., native has been known for his shutdown abilities as a defensive defenseman. Savard was a shot-blocking merchant throughout his career. He finished the season with 180 blocks, which was good enough to rank eighth in the NHL. Since entering the NHL in the 2011-12 season, he is 13th on the blocks chart with a total of 1,624 blocked shots. Now with a slot opening up on Montreal’s defense for next season, there is an opportunity for David Reinbacher to emerge as an NHL regular. The former fifth overall pick suffered a serious knee injury in pre-season, forcing him to undergo surgery and miss six months of action. Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen] and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.
