David Savard helped prevent the Montreal Canadiens from winning the Stanley Cup last season. He's now determined to win it with them and bring it back to his native Quebec.
The 30-year-old defenseman had his day with the Cup on Wednesday in Lac-Beauport, Quebec, his home since 2014 and a 20-minute drive north from Quebec City, six weeks after playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning in a five-game victory against the Canadiens in the best-of-7 Stanley Cup Final. He agreed to a four-year, $14 million contract (average annual value $3.5 million) with Montreal on July 28, after he had five assists in 20 Stanley Cup Playoff games to help the Lightning repeat as champions.
"We're going to try to bring it back (to Montreal), that's the plan for next year," Savard said. "What I'd like is to be back in Lac-Beauport with the Cup next year."
The Canadiens made an unexpected run to the Final for the first time since winning the Stanley Cup in 1993. They were 24-21-11 in the regular season, fourth in the seven-team Scotia North Division where the top four teams qualified for the playoffs. Montreal defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs in seven games after trailing the Stanley Cup First Round series 3-1, swept the Winnipeg Jets in the second round and won the Stanley Cup Semifinals in six games against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Savard and forwards Mike Hoffman (three years, $13.5 million) and Cedric Paquette (one year, $950,000) are among Montreal's offseason additions.
"It's a different team, but not by much," Savard said. "I liked the way the Canadiens played against us in the Final. They have several veterans who've already won the Cup (Paquette with the Lightning and defenseman Joel Edmundson and goalie Jake Allen with the St. Louis Blues). I'm going to try to bring my own baggage and make it an even better team. We're all planning to return to the Final and to win it."
It will be up to Savard to help fill the void at defenseman left by Shea Weber. The Canadiens captain will not play this season because of multiple injuries and his NHL career could be over, general manager Marc Bergevin said July 22. Weber averaged 25:13 of ice time playing all 22 playoff games last season. Savard has averaged 20:26 in 10 seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Lightning, and 20:17 in the playoffs.
"I know what I have to do," Savard said. "I've been doing it for several years now and I'm not going to change. The team also knows what I can bring them. I'm keeping the same formula."
This season will be a homecoming for Savard, a native of St-Hyacinthe, Quebec. He has scored 166 points (41 goals, 125 assists) in 611 regular-season games with Columbus and Tampa Bay, and 16 points (one goal, 15 assists) in 57 playoff games.
"I'm looking forward to putting on the skates and playing a first game at Bell Centre," he said. "It will be nice to be closer to my family and my friends."
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