The Tampa Bay Lightning announced this afternoon that they have acquired defenceman David Savard from the Columbus Blue Jackets. The cost is essentially a 2021 first-round pick, 2022 third-round pick, and 2021 fourth-round pick, complicated by the fact that this is a three-team trade.
We have acquired defenseman David Savard in a multi-team trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Detroit Red Wings. https://t.co/5tYIISleym
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) April 10, 2021
For a second straight deadline, Lightning GM Julien BriseBois has gone out and made a targeted acquisition to address an area of need. Anyone who has watched more than a handful of Lightning games this year knows that the right-side defence has been a glaring weakness, with opposing teams often taking advantage. Even if he has struggled a little bit this season, Savard is a player who directly fills that void:
David Savard, reportedly acquired by TB, is a stay-at-home physical second-pair defensive defenceman who keeps opponents to the outside when he's on the ice. The match with Tampa felt inevitable. #GoBolts pic.twitter.com/aBVBcb6b4O
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) April 10, 2021
This deal is a clear win for BriseBois and the Lightning. Tampa Bay is in win-now mode, which greatly reduces the value of picks in hand. Using picks to acquire on-roster resources that will help this team make another run at the Stanley Cup is exactly what this group should be doing. There will be a rebuild coming down the line, but that day is not today.
As always, thanks for reading.