The Canadiens will once again be one of the NHL’s youngest teams this season

At 32 years of age, David Savard is the dean of the Montreal Canadiens, and it’s partly, but not entirely, thanks to him that the Habs are not the youngest team in the NHL. The defenseman will assume a large share of leadership this season, and he’ll be the veteran to whom the youngsters will turn in the most intense moments of the coming season. And he’ll have plenty of youngsters under his wing!

In the thirty-something club, apart from Savard, you’ll find only Chris Wideman, Jake Allen, Brendan Gallagher, Joel Armia and Mike Hoffman, and with all due respect, that’s clearly not the core of the team I’ve just named here. Fortunately, Savard is an exception to the equation.

The #GoHabsGo are the 6th youngest team in the NHL. https://t.co/m97XtYBcrQ

– Etienne Ferland (@EtienneFerland) July 11, 2023

Where it gets interesting is when you look at the teams younger than the CH. They include Columbus, Ottawa, New Jersey, Arizona and Buffalo. Apart from Columbus, these are all teams that have rebuilt and will soon begin to reap the rewards. For New Jersey, their combined average age (25.5) makes their run in the recent playoffs even more impressive. They’re already excellent, and they’re one of the youngest teams. This suggests that they could be very good for a very long time!

I also consider that the Ottawa Senators are ahead of the Canadiens in their rebuilding, while being younger, and that the Buffalo Sabres have a better pool of hope than Montreal. With both teams in the same division as our Glorieux, there’s plenty to worry about.

As I mentioned last week, David Savard could be traded over the coming season to maximize his value. If this is the case, the defensive brigade could be very weakened and the Habs could be fishing very high again next summer. But then again, it’s not as if the Habs already have too much talent.

In gusto

– The Avalanche agree on a 4-year contract with Ross Colton.

The Colorado Avalanche have signed restricted free agent forward Ross Colton to a four-year contract.

MORE: https://t.co/KMlIg6YE5C pic.twitter.com/jXgq4Ej5fw

– TSN (@TSN_Sports) July 17, 2023

– Cole Caufield in training. 🏋️

Putting in the work 💪🏼@colecaufield pic.twitter.com/F8TpBczhWo

– GVNPerformance (@GVNPerformance) July 17, 2023

– Philadelphia is also on the move.

Stick taps to Original Silvertip Riley Armstrong, promoted to @NHLFlyers Director of Player Development! #AlwaysASilvertip pic.twitter.com/KXHmCkORvP

– Everett Silvertips (@WHLsilvertips) July 17, 2023