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Will the Savard Situation Cost the B's Their Captain Next Summer? |
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Throughout nearly all of November last year, the Hub of Hockey was abuzz when rumors repeatedly surfaced that Marc Savard, the Bruins' team leader in both points and assists for three consecutive seasons, was on the verge of inking a long-term, cap-friendly extension. The news became official at the onset of December as word broke that a seven-year pact had been agreed upon, with Savard hitting the cap for just a hair over $4 million.
Much was made about the maturation process the soon-to-be 33-year-old pivot had gone through since his debut with the New York Rangers over a decade prior. Savard carried with him a reputation for putting his own interests before the team's upon his arrival in Boston in the summer of 2006. But as time passed, Claude Julien took over the reigns as Head Coach and the B's vaulted themselves back from cellar dwellers to legitimate contenders for the Stanley Cup, the crafty center once deemed to be selfish stepped forward as one of the most selfless leaders on the squad.
But now, after locking himself in until 2017 for far below market value and returning from what should have been a season-ending concussion to aid his team's postseason hopes, Savard is being rewarded for all of that by being placed on the trading block. Calling the cap era a cruel world seems like a wild understatement in the case of #91.
Aside from his personal growth both on and off the ice, Savard has all but turned water into wine during his tenure with the B's. In his first season in Black and Gold, the Ottawa native somehow managed to register 96 points and a career-best 74 assists, all while being flanked by defensive-minded P.J. Axelsson and an aging Glen Murray. Aside from Phil Kessel's lone season of top-line duties, Savard has still managed to remain among the league's top point-getters with an ever-changing cast of mostly underwhelming linemates.
And now, as Peter Chiarelli continues to shop his star center in hopes of escaping a self-inflicted cap-crunch, one must wonder how this will all affect future negotiations with captain Zdeno Chara. The 6'9 blueliner, winner of the Norris Trophy for the 2008-09 season, will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2011. The Bruins are undoubtedly anxious to keep the big man in Black and Gold for the rest of his playing days. Chara's contributions and overall influence on every game are far greater than he is often given credit for. Without the towering Slovak anchoring their defensive corps, Boston could all but kiss their hopes of reaching the Finals goodbye.
Like Savard, Chara is also a 12-year NHL vet. He has evolved from a freakishly large rookie on Long Island to one of the greatest defensemen of his era. And while he has accomplished a helluva lot throughout his stops in New York, Ottawa and Boston, a chance to play for the Cup has still managed to elude him. But who is to say that Chara will agree to a deal comparable to Savard's now that he has seen what may come of it? Why wouldn't he be leery of signing on the dotted line knowing that such a sacrifice could possibly lead to him being shipped out of town just seven months later?
Chara is an elite talent and deservedly paid like one. On the open market, he could net a lofty salary from a team with just as good of a chance at winning it all, if not better, than the B's. With the "C" sewn on the front of his sweater, it would likely be hard to lure Big Z away from Boston. This is his team. This is his opportunity to write a lasting legacy, a chance to be the one who returns the Stanley Cup to a proud, Original Six franchise.
However, after witnessing a well-respected teammate like Savard get treated the way he has, all but being dragged out to the curb with a "TAKE ME!" sign taped to his chest, has the Bruins' brass set off red flags in Chara's mind? Has Chiarelli severely hindered the chance of retaining his team's captain?
Chara could relocate to a number of teams for which he would be the final piece of the Stanley Cup puzzle. The same could be said if he returns to the fold in Boston beyond next year, when a number of young, promising players should be rounding into form. However, the possibility of one day occupying Savard's current spot on the sidewalk of Causeway Street as the latest victim of roster mismanagement, nestled nicely between two tin garbage cans, might force him to trade in all of his Black and Gold attire in favor of new duds.
JC
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