When David Savard was selected as a fourth round pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets, not many people expected him to be as important to the team as he currently is. Savard’s contribution both offensively and defensively make him a major piece to the defensive corps.
The Columbus Blue Jackets undoubtedly have a solid defensive corps, and a large reason behind it would be depth. David Savard is likely to draw into the second pairing on the right side behind Seth Jones. It is nearly guaranteed that he will start the season next to Jack Johnson, however it is possible that John Tortorella will shake things up.
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Savard’s offensive numbers have dropped significantly from his breakout season in 2014-2015, however he still averaged 24 points a season in the last two seasons. The main reasons for this would likely be a slight decrease in time on ice (TOI) and increased defensive duties due to playing across from an offensive-minded defenseman in Johnson.
David Savard compared to the average second pairing defenseman, shows the depth of #CBJ on the blue line. pic.twitter.com/yAcCzbFLfs
— William (@William_Espy) August 24, 2017
The chart above, created by Own The Puck, compares David Savard’s stats to the average NHL level second pairing defenseman. Based off of the HERO chart, he stacks up more as a first pairing player; however he would not be seen as an “elite” defenseman.
Savard should be able to once again reach the 20 point plateau, however it would be a major boost to the Columbus Blue Jackets if he is able to add more goals than he has in the past two years. I expect Savard to be nearing another career year similar to the 2014-2015 season, although it may not be this upcoming season. Expect to hear David Savard’s name plenty over the next two years for all the right reasons.