The Boston Bruins would be nuts to trade Marc Savard for next to nothing (er, I mean, Mikhail Grabovski). They’re considering the idea, though, at least according to the current rumor circulating via Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star. I can see the logic of moving him for a valuable defenseman, but for Grabovski? That would be sheer lunacy.
McGran rightly points out that Savard is making quite a bit of money in the next few years, but his salary cap hit is an absolute steal (a little more than $4 million per year) unless concussion problems render him completely useless. Just look at his teammates; his cap hit is lower than Patrice Bergeron’s and Milan Lucic’s while being in the same ballpark as the hits registered by Michael Ryder and Nathan Horton. While it’s reasonable to worry about the term (it runs through 2016-17), Savard’s new contract keeps him among the league’s best cap bargains.
So, really, the money side of the argument doesn’t work for me at all. One other point being made is that the Bruins drafted a possible impact player at center in Tyler Seguin, giving the team a crowded group with Seguin, Savard, David Krejci and Bergeron.
You might want to sit down, because I have a mind melting solution to that problem. Move someone to a wing. (That’s some McGyver-level inventiveness, right?)
The word is that Savard is willing to waive his no-trade clause to go to Toronto or Ottawa (although McGran reports that Chicago, Montreal and Philadelphia also might be in the mix). My problem with those two Canadian clubs is that they really don’t have much to offer in exchange for a forward who notched 88 points in 08-09 and broke the 90-point barrier twice in his career.
I mean, really, you’re going to give him up for Mikhail Grabovski? Let’s hope Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli is smarter than that.