NHL: Top Three Trade Candidates For Marc Savard

Past all the "Savard for Kaberle" trade buzz, there actually are other teams interested in the service of Marc Savard—and why wouldn't they be.

A top-five NHL center and a 90-point setup man isn't easy to come by.

The only knock—his new chapter of concussion history.

However, one concussion shouldn't discourage teams from taking a look at Savard. Well, at least the smart teams would.

The thought of trading Savard makes Bruins fans cringe just because of how he took a discount to stay in Boston and committed himself to the betterment of the team, as well as retiring here.

So, what kind of message does it send to other free agents when you trade away a guy who just signed a long-term deal to retire there, and you trade him away after his first year on his contract?

The answer is not a good one.

And while Peter Chiarelli should listen to offers and entertain ideas of other teams, I don't think it’s in any way right for him to be actively shopping Savard.

But, that's just one man's opinion.

Well, the show must go on, so here is a list of the top three teams likely to swipe Savard from the Bruins this offseason.

Calgary Flames

The Calgary Flames have endured a few mediocre seasons, the most recent had them just edged out of eighth in the West missing the chance at a playoff appearance. This offseason, they made no hesitation and began addressing their offensive needs by bringing back Alex Tanguay and the ever-so-streaky Olli Jokinen.

Darryl Sutter doesn't feel that just bringing in those two are sufficient upgrades, so along came the Marc Savard for Robyn Regehr trade rumors.

Even though they are just rumors, the numbers would work out on this deal. Swapping salaries would almost be a wash, and the Bruins would be able to fill the void left by the departure of Dennis Wideman to Florida. Wideman was traded for
Nathan Horton and Gregory Campbell—a great trade for the B's, I might add.

And on top of that, it would be able to address the immediate need for offense that the Flames feel they need to fill.

There is a downside to this trade unfortunately.

The Bruins went from second in the league, to the bottom of the barrel in offense in just one year's time.

So, why would they want to trade away their biggest offensive threat and production man especially when he just took a huge pay cut in order to retire a Bruin.

They don't, and that's why fans are very uncomfortable with the idea of losing Savard.

Columbus Blue Jackets

The Jackets have been on the verge of being a contender for many years, but seem to have the wheels come off the wagon at the worst possible time.

Savard could be the guy that could push them over the top and finally allow them to see a playoff berth.

For a while, they have flew under the radar with players like Rick Nash and star rookie goalie Steve Mason, even though he suffered a sophomore slump. Savard being able to pass to a goal scorer like Nash would boost not only both of their point totals, but the teams as well.

They have always been missing that one-two punch—much like Savard and Kessel used to be.

Savard may be a good fit for Columbus. It would be a good opportunity for the B's to clear some salary by taking little salary back, allowing them to then pursue another puck-moving defenseman on the market.

Toronto Maple Leafs

I hate to say it, but the Maple Leafs are a likely trade partner for the B's and Savard.

This is the one I have the most fear of, especially because of the fact that it could re-unite a dangerous combination of Savard and Kessel on a division rival's roster.

That spells nothing but trouble for the B's and I could see it coming back to nip them in the butt.

I also don't feel like the return we'd likely get, which is Kaberle, is the right fit for the Bruins at this time.

But hey, I'm not the GM for a reason, so I guess I should let him decide what's best for the club at this point.

Why Only Three Teams?

The short length of this slideshow isn't due my lazyness or me being hack—it's because of the lack of interest from other teams.

It's because the concussion fear seems to be fending off many of the teams who would have been in the running for a player like Savard. Only three teams being even mildly interested makes very little sense for a 90-point player with such a discounted cap hit, which means there are other factors coming into play.

And even though I am a Bruins fan and a bit biased, I still thought I'd such much more intereset in such a difference-maker.

But like I've said many times—apparently this is why I'm not an NHL General Manager.

This article can also be seen on my blog at www.mtrmedia.com/bostonbruins —any and all support would be greatly appreciated.