Official now, the Tampa Bay Lightning have nabbed one of the best rentals on the market. The team has acquired David Savard as part of a three-team deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Detroit Red Wings.
- To Lightning: David Savard, Brian Lashoff
- To Blue Jackets: 2021 first-round pick (TBL), 2022 third-round pick (TBL)
- To Red Wings: 2021 fourth-round pick (TBL)
Columbus and Detroit will both be retaining part of Savard’s $4.25MM cap hit. Columbus retained 50% of the contract in the first deal with Detroit, and then the Red Wings retained an additional 50% of what remained. That leaves the Lightning carrying just 25% of the $4.25MM, or $1.0625MM.
Three picks may seem like a lot to give up for a player on an expiring contract, but it was required in order to facilitate the salary retention. The Lightning now add a top-four defenseman that they can fit into their tight salary cap structure. GM Julien BriseBois is making something of a mockery of the cap system, as the Lightning are nearly $18MM over the cap ceiling thanks to their huge amount of salary on long-term injured reserve. Nikita Kucherov, who makes up $9.5MM of that LTIR salary, is expected back for the playoffs once the cap ceiling is no longer used.
This move, just like the other maneuvering the Lightning have done this season, pushes the limit of the CBA but has actually been done before. Last season the Toronto Maple Leafs were involved in the trade that sent Robin Lehner from the Chicago Blackhawks to the Vegas Golden Knights, retaining salary along the way in exchange for a draft pick. Like Tampa Bay, the Maple Leafs were deep into LTIR, meaning it didn’t really affect their cap situation by taking on some retained salary.
The outside-the-box thinking in Tampa Bay didn’t start with BriseBois. Former GM Steve Yzerman, who is now running the Red Wings, was known for his creative trade work; once again, he’s pulled off a deal to net an asset without giving up much of anything. Detroit gets a fourth-round pick just for a small salary commitment, but getting Lashoff and his $325K minor league guarantee off the books basically evens things out. The 30-year-old defenseman shouldn’t play much of a role for the Crunch and it wouldn’t even be surprising to see him loaned back to the Grand Rapids Griffins where he has played this season.
For Columbus, cashing in on Savard was a necessary move for GM Jarmo Kekalainen after the season did not go his way. The Blue Jackets have struggled for much of the year and it seemed unlikely that the team would re-sign Savard with other negotiations coming up. Landing a first and third for him should be considered a huge win, even if they will likely be extremely late picks thanks to Tampa Bay’s strong performance. Columbus has begun to start restocking the cupboard that was left so bare when they went all-in for the end of the 2019 season, acquiring the likes of Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel.
All three teams seem to come out ahead in this deal, not something that can often be said at the NHL trade deadline.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Now there’s a novel approach to getting a player for pennies on the dollar!
It’s been done a fair amount over the last few yrs, usually costs at least extra pick to accomplice
Like the lehner trade last year
stevie y looking to get a cup ring while with the red wings
No doubt in my mind Stevie Y will bring the cup back to Detroit in a few years. He was awesome in Tampa as GM and knows how to win. Grateful for his leadership and happy for Detroit.
Ya it certainly didn’t work for them last year .. AWhere ya going without your helmet Chim?
I’ll say the same thing about this trade that I did about the Goodrow and Coleman deals last year…steep price…unless they win the Cup.
The price was right last year.
agreed
Continously trading 1st rounders for depth is not smart. They didn’t need to do this coming off a cup. I know everyone is going to point to that but Kucherov, Hedman and Vasi going off won them the cup, not Coleman and Goodrow. If you packaged everything they have traded for them and now Savard that’s three 1st round picks and a player who was drafted in the 1st round 2019.
I think due to the cap they’re going to have to trade some talent and I guess that they just might get some1st rounders in return.
Ya it certainly didn’t work for them last year .. AWhere ya going without your helmet Chim?
Savard nets a 1st and Montour nets a 3rd! Oof
Pretty big difference though as Savard is a quality d man right now where Montour hasn’t been for a while
This is semantics, but technically Tampa acquired Savard for a fourth and technically Tampa acquired Lashoff for a 1st and 3rd.
In that strict context…BIG TIME overpay for Lashoff but a steal on Savard for Brisebois.
Let’s Dubas can take off his shoes and socks and mittens so he can add up what he should do.
Or sit tight with that goaltending.
people still get hungup over first round pick. If it late pick not worth more then a second. You need to go for it during your window. Fans of chicago and los angeles they got their cups. looks like San Jose and Nashville missed theirs.
Exactly.
“You play to win the game.”
Yinzers whine about Rutherford’s trades. I don’t see any of them offering to give back the banners.
Just a bunch on ingrates who don’t want to pay the credit bill after the spending spree.
Ya it certainly didn’t work for them last year .. AWhere ya going without your helmet Chim?