Speculation: David Savard on track to be traded to the Sens at a very high price?

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Jeff Drouin
November 12, 2022 (9:11)

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The Ottawa Senators' start to the season has been well below expectations. The Senators lost their 7th consecutive game on Thursday night and are now 4-8-1, good for last place in the Atlantic Division.

The team is in dire need of help or a jolt. It seems that it won't come from firing head coach D.J. Smith, as Pierre Dorion recently stated that his employee has his support.

Dorion will certainly be looking to improve his team through trades, and adding experienced defensemen to his squad will likely be considered given the depth Ottawa has on offense. Dorion was at the Bell Centre last Wednesday night, along with two other scouts, to watch the game between the CH and the Canucks. It was the second time in a few weeks that he attended a game of the club while he was also in Winnipeg during the last visit of the canadiens.

According to what the excellent Martin Leclerc reported Thursday night during his appearance on the BPM Sports Comeback show, Dorion's presence caused a lot of speculation in the press gallery. Many were trying to figure out who the Sens' GM was targeting and Leclerc came to the conclusion that it had to be a defenseman.

We understand that the GM travels to see games during the season is a little less common. And Pierre Dorion was at the Habs game in Winnipeg last week. So on the bridge, we started talking about it and gossiping a bit." - Martin Leclerc

"Me I think you have to look at it from a defensive standpoint, they don't need offense, more offense. [...] Me, if I was GM of the Senators and there was one player I coveted from the Habs it would be David Savard. We agree that if I were GM of the Habs I wouldn't let him go, but if I had a wish list I think he would stabilize this defensive brigade a lot." - Martin Leclerc

The journalist mentions that even if the CH's start to the season is going well, and there are three youngsters who are doing well (Guhle, Harris and Xhekaj), you have Matheson who will be back in the game very soon and you have Justin Barron in Laval. So it wouldn't be crazy to make a trade if the price is right to let a veteran defenseman go.

If I were GM of the Habs, maybe Edmundson would be my target because he is fragile. If you look at it from a business perspective, no use on the ice because Edmundson is quite a hockey player, he's a leader on that team, but his fragility is quite demonstrated." - Martin Leclerc

As for what the CH might ask of the Sens, here's what Leclerc had to say:

"The penchant of the Habs organization, to reduce the risk in a trade, they like to take someone who is already drafted, who already has a little bit of mileage after his draft year to cut down on the progression time. Me it would be a top prospect who has already been drafted." - Martin Leclerc

Lemay mentions that the Senators' prospect firm is not extra and would really need to be shaken up in order to let Edmundson or Savard go. That's where Leclerc surprises with his target for the Sens:

Shane Pinto. Listen to the debriefing... You have a right to be demanding. The Habs are not in a starvation situation, that's often the danger. But the Senators are... " - Martin Leclerc

Sure, it would take more than David Savard or even Joel Edmundson to get Pinto, but hearing his name in the speculation is still exciting. Imagine Dorion, wanting to improve his team in the short term, trading one of his top prospects to his conference rival!

You can listen to the here clip around the 8 minute mark.

BPM Sports