The Columbus Blue Jackets have acquired a first-round pick in the 2021 National Hockey League Draft and a third-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft from the Tampa Bay Lightning in a three-team trade that includes the Detroit Red Wings and will send defenseman David Savard to Tampa Bay, club General Manager Jarmo Kekalainen announced today. As part of the deal, Columbus will retain 50 percent of Savard's contract, which expires at the end of this season.
"David Savard is a consummate professional and his contributions to our organization over the past 10 years have been significant," said Kekalainen. "He has been an incredibly selfless player on the ice, a great teammate in the dressing room and a great representative of the Blue Jackets off the ice. We wish he, Valerie, and their family all the best moving forward."
Savard, 30, has registered 41 goals and 125 assists for 166 points with 331 penalty minutes and a cumulative +24 plus/minus rating in 597 career NHL games with the Blue Jackets, including 1-5-6 and 24 penalty minutes in 40 games this season. He has added 1-10-11 and 14 penalty minutes in 37 career outings in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Selected by the Blue Jackets in the fourth round, 94th overall, at the 2009 NHL Draft, Savard has played more games with the club than any other defenseman in franchise history and ranks fourth on the club's all-time games played list. Among blueliners, he also stands third in goals (tied) and assists and fourth in points. His best season with the club was 2014-15 when he set career highs in goals, assists and points with 11-25-36 in 82 games. In 2016-17, he set a club single-season record with a +33 plus/minus rating in 74 outings.
CBJ acquire draft picks from Lightning in exchange for D David Savard
