Canadiens, Maple Leafs Could Make Rare Rivalry Trade

The Toronto Maple Leafs may look to heated rival Montreal Canadiens to bolster their defense.

Nov 23, 2024; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens defenseman David Savard (58) looks on wearing a Hockey fights cancer tuque during warm-up before the game against the Las Vegas Golden Knights at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images / David Kirouac-Imagn Images

Montreal Canadiens defenseman David Savard has been talked about on the NHL trade block since last season, but a move feels pretty certain this year. In the final year of his contract with the Canadiens, the 34-year-old blue liner is likely to find a new home before the end of the 2024-25 campaign.

As a top trade asset, the Canadiens should have more than a few teams calling about Savard. Insider Chris Johnston with the Athletic linked heated rival Toronto Maple Leafs as the perfect fit for Savard.

The Maple Leafs built a well-rounded defensive group over the offseason, but they may still want to add on the blue line. Injuries have left the Maple Leafs with some holes to fill on the back end.

“Despite making significant strides on the defensive side of the puck this season, the Leafs still have some question marks,” Johnston writes. “Summer signing Jani Hakanpaa has only been healthy enough to play two NHL games this season because of lingering knee issues, and as good of a story as Conor Timmins’ re-emergence has been, he may not be ideally suited for what the team wants to get out of its third pairing come playoff time.”

It took the Maple Leafs until deep into the offseason before making the signing of Hakanpaa official. There was talk he may never be able to play hockey again after undergoing extensive knee surgery, ending his tenure with the Dallas Stars.

Chris Tanev is also out with a lower-body injury, leaving another gap in the Maple Leafs lineup.

Savard, meanwhile, plays a very similar style to Hakanpaa and Tanev. Not a ton of offense, but a stout force defensively.

In 827 career games played, Savard has scored 54 goals and 182 assists for 236 total points. He can play on any defensive pairing and should be able to shut down opposing offenses.

The Maple Leafs want to bolster their defense, filling existing holes. Trades between the Maple Leafs and Canadiens may be rare, but Savard may be the perfect solution in Toronto.

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