Two years ago, defenseman David Savard came upon a fork in the road. He played just four games for Columbus in 2013 and realized that if he wanted to stay in the NHL, he had to get lighter and quicker. He took that message to heart that summer and came into training camp in September 2013 as a reinvigorated player.
"I think it was a wake-up call", he said. "Two years ago was a tough season for me, so I had to get back on track. I know what to do now. I grew as a player and as a person. That season was tough on me. But, you have to learn from that."
Last year, he suited up for 70 games as part of the third defensive-pairing. He went 5-10-15 (+2) for the regular season and played in all six of Columbus' playoff games versus the Pittsburgh Penguins. In that playoff series, he had 0-4-4 (+2). He also was elevated to the top defensive pairing with Jack Johnson as his partner.
"We're having fun", said defenseman Jack Johnson. "He's a good guy to play with. We're having fun and trying to make it as easy for him as possible."
In the season-opener on Thursday in Buffalo, Savard was on the ice for 24:30. He saw time on both the power play (2:57) and on the penalty kill (1:19). He had an average shift length of :58 in the first game. He has committed himself to being the best he can be and in the process he's earned the trust of the coaches and respect of his teammates.
"It's fun", said the 23 year old Savard. "Playing with Jack (Johnson), he's always a guy that's going to log a lot of minutes. So, you've got to be ready for it. He's the top D-man in here. He's one of the best in the league, for sure. He makes it easy for me to go on the ice and play well."
Drafted in the 4th round (94th overall) in the 2009 draft, he plays a cerebral form of defense, not really throwing many huge hits. But, when he's determined, he'll use his 6'2", 219 pound frame to clear players out from in front of his goaltender.
The forwards on the team have taken notice of the way that Savard has reinvested himself into playing the game at a high level. Nick Foligno sees the benefit of having a player like Savard on the backend to help drive the play or to make a good move to keep the puck on-side in the offensive zone.
"I think you forget how young Savvy is," said Foligno, "and how hard he's worked to get himself to this point. He's been so steady."
"I remember last year," Foligno continued, "every game you could count on him to play the right way. And it's no different this year. He's done a great job for us. He's offensive and really strong defensively. It's no surprise to us that he can log those kinds of minutes."
An added benefit of Savard developing into a sound defensive player is the trust he's gained from the coaches. They don't bat an eye putting him on the ice for twenty-plus minutes a game. He's proven that he can handle the workload, which allows the minutes to be distributed more evenly among the other defensemen.
"And, it's great," said Foligno, "because it takes some time away from Jack (Johnson) and Wiz (James Wisniewski), Toots (Fedor Tyutin) and Prouter (Dalton Prout) because it gives those guys a chance to get some rest. It's amazing. One night, one guy can play a ton of minutes and the next night, it's someone else. It keeps everybody fresh."
In the home home-opener on Saturday, David Savard once again led all Blue Jackets players with 24:43 time-on-ice, with 2:47 on the power play and 2:10 short-handed. The blue-liner went 0-1-1 (-1) on the night. He had one each shot, blocked shot and hit. He was the only player on either team with an average shift length over one minute (1:01). To start the new season, it would seem that Savard is the new "Iron Man."
"I think we played pretty good," said Savard, "and we handled them pretty good. New York was throwing a hard forecheck, but everybody did a great job coming back and helping the 'D' and the goalie out."
Just like all of the other guys in the room, Savard is humble when talking about his effort in a team win. He espouses the team ethos of "one for all and all for one."
For a player whose future within the organization was uncertain just a few years previous, Savard has become part of the bedrock on the blue line.
