It's not every day that Montreal and Toronto become dance partners in a trade, as their rivalry is fierce, however Chris Johnston believes that might change. The Montreal Canadiens have beefed up their defense by picking up Alexandre Carrier, a defenseman whose game has been compared to David Savard. It also brings up questions regarding David <a href='https://www.hockeylatest.com/nhl-team/edmonton-oilers/nhl-insider-has-just-linked-a-towering-canadiens-defenseman-to-the-oilers-in-possible-trade' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Savard's future as he heads into the last year of his contract</a> in 2025. <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/TSN_Sports/status/1765205197356224732'> </a></blockquote></div> A pre-trade deadline departure is definitely a possibility, especially if there's no plan in place for a contract extension. As much as Savard brings to the table in terms of leadership and experience, his leaving might actually present the Canadiens with an opportunity to focus more on long-term development. Journalists Chris Johnston and Pierre LeBrun weighed in on the situation recently. Chris Johnston speculated that Savard might pique some interest from the Toronto Maple Leafs, while another destination mentioned by Pierre LeBrun is the Edmonton Oilers. As an added bonus, Savard has playoff pedigree and would give Toronto a level of depth at the position usually needed to go on a long run. He might even slide alongside Morgan Rielly and give them better balance from top to bottom. - Insider Chris Johnston Both teams, looking toward a playoff run, <a href='https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning/latest-news/ex-lightning-defender-connected-to-maple-leafs-oilers' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>see in Savard a steady defenseman who would improve their respective lineups</a>. LeBrun further specified that Savard's trade value wouldn't cost a first-round pick, which could make him an attractive target for contending teams like the Oilers. <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/oilrigEDM/status/1870132720090919083'> </a></blockquote></div> General Manager Kent Hughes has a very important decision to make: trade Savard before the deadline or keep him for the remainder of the season and most likely lose him without any return. Retaining <a href='https://www.nhl.com/canadiens/player/david-savard-8475233' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Savard</a> is the better move if, as LeBrun said, the return just isn't going to be that substantial. He holds a place of leadership among younger players that may outweigh any short-term gain the trade would bring in. In any case, it will be interesting to keep an eye on whether the Maple Leafs will make a bold move to try and acquire him, or if the Oilers will come knocking on the door too.