Boston GM Peter Chiarelli: Marc Savard will not be traded

of the Boston Bruins of the Philadelphia Flyers in Game Five of the Eastern Conference Semifinals during the 2010 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Garden on May 10, 2010 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Flyers defeated the Bruins 4-0.

Elsa

While one player’s saga comes to an end, it would’ve been fitting if another’s off-season of rumors and possibilities continued to rage on. Instead, the summer that featured trade rumors of all kinds and contract-destroying possibilities involving Bruins center Marc Savard, today is going to feel like Christmas for Savard. First, the NHL and NHLPA come to an agreement grandfathering in his contract making it OK and now Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli ensures him that he’s not going to be traded as ESPN Boston’s James Murphy finds out.

“We told Marc we are not moving him and he is part of the organization,” Chiarelli told ESPNBoston.com.

Chiarelli acknowledged Friday that he did indeed have trade discussions regarding Savard, but apparently they weren’t enough to entice the GM to pull the trigger on a deal. Chiarelli also acknowledged that teams have inquired about other Bruins players, as well.

“There is all these things that happen and there are always things that swirl around about moving guys, and I cannot respond to anything in kind because I don’t directly comment on trade rumors,” Chiarelli said. “I can tell you, though, that there was discussion and inquiries on Marc and they became public.

“There has been a number of inquires on a lot of the players, some become public and some don’t for obvious reasons, but as we told Marc, that’s part of the business and he understood that. I made sure he knows what we think of him: He is a Boston Bruin and an elite offensive player we’re happy to have on this team.”

Being a player in Savard’s position I can’t even begin to wrap my head around what that has to be like to go from being shopped around to possibly having your contract torn up and tossed out all in the span of a few months. Then again, that’s why I’m happily sitting here pounding out words on a keyboard. Chiarelli’s proclamation also helps ease tensions going into training camp. After all, you don’t want to have a player coming into camp mentally off of his game, especially a guy that just happens to be your best scoring forward and offensive leader.

With the Bruins having a glut of talent at center this season, they certainly were and are in a position where they could make a move, but getting rid of Savard is something that never really made sense on paper. He’s, by far, their most proven scorer and getting rid of a player that can help fill the net the way he can from a team that needs more offense seemed foolish at best. How the Bruins decide to settle things out between Savard, Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, and Tyler Seguin, positionally-speaking, makes for an interesting subplot for training camp.

(Photo: Elsa - Getty Images)