While it may be too early to determine whether the Montreal Canadiens will be active sellers at the trade deadline, it’s evident that Kent Hughes has a strategy in place.
He has apparently begun exploring trade options ahead of the deadline.
One of his most attractive assets is expected to be defenseman David Savard, who will enter unrestricted free agency on July 1.
The Canadiens’ general manager is open to offers and seems to have been considering a trade well before the current season started.
According to information from the site HABSolumentFan, Marco D’Amico at RG.org spoke to an NHL insider who revealed that the Canadiens attempted to trade Savard last year.
“We carefully examined the situation with David Savard last year but were unable to finalize a deal. The extra year on his contract, along with our salary constraints, made it unfeasible. However, this year, with him being just a rental player, the circumstances have changed drastically.”
The added year on his contract previously complicated a potential trade, which explains the challenges.
D’Amico also indicated that the likelihood of David Savard being traded by March 7 is quite high.
The Edmonton Oilers and Dallas Stars have reportedly expressed interest in the defenseman.
The crucial question now is what kind of return Kent Hughes can secure for him. Nevertheless, considering that this year’s rental market for right-handed defensemen is relatively weak, it isn’t too optimistic to anticipate a first-round pick for Savard, who wears number 58.
