The former Lumber Jacket was fun to watch.
David Savard was drafted 94th overall in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft by the Blue Jackets. Savard, a true stay-at-home defenseman, didn’t score a lot of points, but he was a shot-blocking machine. Savard stands at 6-foot-1 and weighs 235 pounds, so it’s hard to get anything past his big body.
The year after he was drafted, he returned to his junior team, the Moncton Wildcats, where he would serve as the alternate Captain. He had his best season in junior, playing in 64 games while scoring 13 goals and adding 64 assists. In the playoffs, he would add another 15 points in 21 games. Being that he was a defense-first blue liner, reports are that the Blue Jackets convinced him to add more offense to his game in that final season in Moncton, and it worked.
The following season in 2010, Savard would turn pro. He played 72 games for the Springfield Falcons of the AHL. Savard would have a solid first season, scoring 11 goals and getting 44 total points. The next two seasons, Savard would split his time between Columbus and Springfield. He would play in 35 NHL games over those two seasons, netting 10 points. While in Springfield, he scored 41 points.
He would make the Blue Jackets on a full-time basis in 2013 and never look back. From that point on, Savard became the steady defenseman that the CBJ needed. His second season in the NHL was his career year in terms of points production and still is to this day. He played in all 82 games, scored 11 goals, had 36 points, had 10 power-play points, and played 23 minutes a game on average. He also had 105 blocks and 195 hits. The 2016-17 season saw the CBJ have their best season in their young history, and Savard had a good season as well. Although he only had 23 points, he had a team-best +- of +33, had 126 blocks, and 127 hits.
One of his best moments came against Tampa in the 2019 NHL playoffs with this goal.
Savard would play 10 seasons with Columbus. He scored 41 goals, 125 assists, and totaled 166 points. He would average over 20 minutes of ice time, record 958 blocks, and have 1117 hits. He currently ranks 1st all-time for defensemen in games played (597), and 5th all-time in games played for all skaters. He’s 3rd all-time for defensemen in goals scored (41), 4th in assists (125), and 4th in points scored (166).
Savard won a Stanley Cup after he was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2021. He then left to sign a contract with his hometown Montreal Canadiens in 2021, where he would play for four seasons. Although his Habs teams weren't very good, Savard remained a steady presence on the Montreal Blue Line. He had 76 points over four seasons while blocking 646 shots over those four years.
The last paragraph was used mainly in the past tense because this past spring, Savard retired. He announced right around Christmas that this season would be his last. He said, “Around Christmastime, I kind of knew what my body felt like,” Savard told the media. “My body's just kind of failing a little bit. By that time, just thinking about going through another summer, another season, you just don't see yourself doing it. So, I was just going to enjoy it and play as hard as I can.”
Savard played in 870 games over 14 seasons. He scored 54 goals, totaled 242 points, and had a total of 1,624 blocked shots.
Savard was never a flashy guy; in fact, the flashiest thing about him was probably his trademark beard, but what he lacked in flash, he made up for with true defensive-minded hockey. He remains the favorite Blue Jacket of all time by many to this day.
David Savard was a right-shot, defensive defenseman known for his strong positioning, shot-blocking ability, and physical play. He was not known for his offensive contributions but had some very memorable goals for the Jackets, including the first goal for the Jackets in game one of the Eastern Conference round one series between the Blue Jackets and Lightning. That goal jump- started the CBJ and sparked a massive comeback.
David Savard was a solid, reliable, defensive defenseman who was a valuable asset to the Columbus Blue Jackets. While he didn't light up the scoresheet, he was a strong presence in his own end and could be counted on to play a physical and responsible game.
Best of luck to David Savard in his retirement.
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