Marc Savard, overrated? underrated? Or the right fit
Marc Savard of the Boston Bruins is on a little tear, scoring 6 points in 3 games. I saw a glimpse of his current scoring streak, and I thought, “hey for a guy who was given 20 million over 4 seasons, that’s worth it” But then I took a closer look……
Marc Savard of the Boston Bruins is on a little tear, scoring 6 points in 3 games. I saw a glimpse of his current scoring streak, and I thought, “hey for a guy who was given 20 million over 4 seasons, that’s worth it” But then I took a closer look.
First off, from the beginning I felt Savard was overpaid, 5million a year for a player who scored 97 points, BUT I was under a reasonable assumption that playing along side Ilya Kovalchuk and Marian Hossa had a big role in that. But I was wrong, so far he’s about the surpass his point totals from last year. But then again, he probably went to the right team that best suited him. The Bruins don’t have superstar wingers like Hossa and Kovalchuk, but they do have some strong defense in Chara and Mara, and above average wingers like Sturm & Glen Murray. In his previous years he was with Calgary, a team that didn’t have a scoring winger, they had Iginla, but he took a while to become a star. But that was it, and he wasn’t reaching the point per.game plateau. Of course one would argue the new rule changes allow more freedom, back then he couldn’t score a lot cause of the clutching and grabbing. Well before the lock out, he did play one season with the Thrashers, he was injured for the most part, but when he was playing he was a point-per-game player. The point is the Flames didn’t have the fire power like the Thrashers did that year (with Heatley and Kovalchuk) and Savard was able to excel. But he can only do so with a STAR winger, he makes STARS better STARS, but doesn’t make the average player into an above average player. (The best example I can giave you is Crosby, last night, Malone, who’s only scored 12 goals, had a hat trick, Crosby was a factor, or Thornton, making Cheechoo a 50-goal scorer). Savard is not one of those players.
Secondly, Savard lacks what those players have, DEFENSE. He’s a -7, he wasn’t a negative last yaer, but he’s been a negative the rest of his career. He might score 100 points, but he’ll be a negative, which you can reasonably conclude he was scored on more often than he did the scoring. Which isn’t a good sign, the last bruin like that was Jason Allison, he’s around 31, 32, but NOBODY signed him this year. I can understand that the whole team is a negative, but for the amount he’s paid (same goes to Chara) and the skill he is suppose to have, he’s not worth it.
Look I’m a fan a Savard, he can put up the numbers, he can score, but he’s not the elite players that his salary is paying him. Some might say his 5million a year is a bargain in comparison to all the other stars (Jagr, Havlat, Sudin(, but this is 5million against the Bruins cap over the next 3 seasons, leaving them less salary cap space come this season. Personally I think he should’ve been paid 4mill, similar to Dany Heatley and Joe Sakic and both of these guys can bring leadership and DEFENCE to the game.
I’m looking forward to the criticism, but no matter, you know I’m right, Savard is overpaid, if he has a bust season into his 3rd year, he’ll be bought out the following year.
– KP Randhawa