The Maple Leafs have acquired a Stanley Cup-winning defenseman from rival in a trade pitch.

In the offseason, the Toronto Maple Leafs prioritized defense, and according to one trade pitch, they were able to acquire David Savard from the Montreal Canadiens.

A user on the website PuckPedia suggested a transaction in which the Maple Leafs would acquire Savard. PuckGM is a new tool that allows users to make their own trades.

The Maple Leafs receive:

Retained is David Savard ($1.8 million). The Canadiens receive a second-round pick in 2025.

2026 first-round selection
On paper, the proposed trade seems to benefit both teams since Savard joins the Maple Leafs and was a vital part of the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Stanley Cup-winning squad in 2021. Savard, who is about to enter the last year of a four-year, $14 million contract, might provide the blue line some more seasoned leadership. Savard skated in 60 games for the Canadiens in the previous season, scoring 24 points with 6 goals and 18 assists.

While the Habs would part with a second-round pick, Montreal would receive a first-round selection. Savard is, however, expendable because Montreal has a wealth of defense prospects vying for NHL playing time.
The defensemen for the Canadiens are Justin Barron, Arber Xhekaj, Mike Matheson, Kaiden Guhle, and Lane Hutson. However, Logan Mailloux, a high prospect and past first-round selection, may contend for playing time along with David Reinbacher, the fifth overall choice in the 2023 NHL draft.

The Maple Leafs are not done moving.
By adding Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson to their roster in the offseason, Toronto successfully addressed their defense.

Despite having finished most of their moves, Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving recently disclosed that his team was not finished.

“I think we still have about five weeks left before camp. Furthermore, we’re not quite set. We’re always looking for ways to improve as a squad,” Treliving stated on TSN 1050’s OverDrive. “We’re going to examine everything at the end of the year, as I mentioned.” People can get enamored with the idea of “letting’s make a big change just to make a big change” at times. You may go out and make significant changes at the end of the day. It doesn’t seem sense to me to make a change merely to stand up and say, “Look at it, we made this big change,” if they’re not improving your team.
Toronto has just over $1.2 million in cap space, according to PuckPedia

.The Canadians Get Laine
On August 19, Montreal executed a significant trade when they acquired Patrik Laine, a former second-overall pick, from the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Defenseman Jordan Harris and Laine were traded for each other, along with a 2026 second-round pick. Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes stated he made the move after being given the go-ahead to speak with Laine.

“Patrik and Don (Waddell) also kindly allowed us to talk, consult on the medical file, and just have the discussions that we thought were necessary in order for us to feel comfortable going forward. And everyone left feeling quite at ease with Patrik. And we also spoke to Patrik about Montreal and the pressure that comes with this market, and he didn’t shy away from it at all. In fact, I think he is looking for this type of a market to come play in,” Hughes told the media.
Laine has two years left on his four-year $34.8 million contract. Last season, he skated in 18 games recording 6 goals and 3 assists for 9 points.