Lightning land Savard from Blue Jackets in multi-team deal with Red Wings
The Tampa Bay Lightning have acquired highly sought-after defenseman David Savard from the Columbus Blue Jackets in a multi-team trade involving the Detroit Red Wings, the team announced Saturday.
The Lightning sent their first-round pick in 2021 and a third-round pick in 2022 to the Blue Jackets, while their 2021 fourth-rounder went to the Red Wings. Tampa Bay also acquired defenseman Brian Lashoff from Detroit.
The deal took some serious savvy for Lightning general manager Julien Brisbois to pull off.
Columbus retained 50% of Savard's expiring $4.25-million cap hit after first flipping him to the Red Wings for Lashoff, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun. Detroit then traded Savard to Tampa Bay and retained another 50% of his contract in exchange for the Lightning's fourth-rounder.
The Blue Jackets then sent Lashoff to Tampa for the Lightning's pair of draft picks.
Savard rounds out what's already one of the league's best blue lines. The Lightning rank seventh in goals against per game (2.50) and own a 53.25 share of expected goals at five-on-five this season.
Savard, 30, will become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. He's contributed one goal and six points while logging 19:38 of average ice time through 40 games.
The 6-foot-2 blue-liner was selected by Columbus in the fourth round of the 2009 draft and has played all 10 of his NHL seasons for the Blue Jackets.