Dateline: SPRINGFIELD, Mass.
With the puck on his stick and a play to be made, David Savard's mental state seems to range somewhere between composed and oblivious.
The Blue Jackets prospect isn't as casual as Jeff Spicoli was ordering a pizza in Mr. Hand's third-period history class, but he's not afraid to try things that would give others pause.
Nineteen-year-old defensemen rarely attempt 100-foot stretch passes while skating out from behind their net in NHL exhibition games. Last month, Jackets general manager Scott Howson watched Savard do it twice ... on the same shift.
"He's very good at processing the game," Howson said. "He has confidence in his ability to make a play and he's very poised with the puck."
For a franchise with a dearth of offensive defensemen, Savard's development with the Jackets' top minor-league club, the Springfield (Mass.) Falcons, is of acute interest.
Three days shy of his 20th birthday, he is quarterbacking the Falcons' first power-play unit and showing no reluctance to take the same chances he did at the junior level, where he registered 77 points last season with Moncton of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
Savard is a deft passer who sees the ice well and doesn't panic with the puck when the opposition eliminates time and space. He has a knack for faking shots from the point, moving around defenders and getting pucks to the net. He's tied for the Falcons' lead with four assists in five games.
His calmness in the face of pressure is a trait that cannot be taught, Falcons coach Rob Riley said.
"I got that when I was born I guess," Savard said. "It's probably my best asset, so I try to use it. At this level everything happens much faster but I try not to change my game."
Savard is one of five defensemen who turned pro in the organization this season. The most dynamic blue-liners are John Moore and Savard, selected in the first and fourth rounds of the 2009 NHL entry draft.
Each has good offensive instincts, but it was the St. Hyacinthe, Quebec, native who enjoyed the more productive training camp. The two prospects have become friends and share an apartment in suburban Springfield.
They are part of a crowded Falcons defensive corps that includes 10 members. The competition forces players to hone their all-around game to stay in the lineup.
Savard is working on his foot speed, conditioning and defensive-zone coverage.
The Falcons played three times in as many days last weekend and Riley scratched Savard from Saturday's game. Unlike at the junior level when he played 30-plus minutes a night, he can't afford to pace himself. It's all out for 45-second shifts.
Savard improved his diet and fitness level during his final season in Moncton, but one gets the sense those points will be reinforced. Same goes for his defensive play.
In the Falcons' 3-1 win over Manchester on Sunday, Savard did not earn a shift over the final six minutes as Riley relied on his better defenders to protect the lead.
"You always want to be on the ice in the final minutes to show you can be responsible," Savard said. "But I'm a young guy and I understand I have things to learn."
The organization wants to see Savard round out his game without losing the willingness to make plays.
There's some arrogance inherent in elite, puck-moving defensemen. At each new level they must decide whether to live with the mistakes that come with handling the puck so frequently or play it safe and forfeit what makes them special.
Last month, as Savard was firing those 100-foot passes from almost behind his net, Howson sat in a suite just smiling.
treed@dispatch.com
