My breakdown of the deal

[PTH]

Here's how I see the deal, tell me what you think about it.

Berezin for the rest of this year = Savage for the rest of this year.
3d rounder for one season of Berezin next year.

I actually think we win both deals.... and the compensatory pick for Savage will be close enough to that we'll get for Berezin should we lose him that they even out.

Overall I like the deal, but not crazy about it. It's a low-risk deal, much like the one with Dallas. The other team gets the UFA to be and can hope for a big return from a desperate team at the deadline, but takes all the risk of a slump/injury, we get a pretty good player with lesser contract problems, but other issues. In this case he still has to sign something. And he's also in a pretty bad slump.

Typical Savard deal, low-risk and pretty good upside. Worst case scenario Berezin busts badly and we don't make him a qualifying offer, best case he gets back in shape and we sign him for the same money as Savage wanted, and get a better player overall.

Losing a draft pick was basically inevitable, we had to give up an asset of some kind if we were to get anyone who could be considered likely to play next season.

Also a very Savard-like deal in that it happens suddenly, no big turmoil leading to a deal, just a stupid comment by a player, then he gets shipped out.

Now, with Hack, Van Allen and Souray as the only guys with any chance of being moved, and no real need to deal anyone, Savard can lie back and listen to offers. Not having a pressure to deal is a very good thing.

One problem though... we keep on getting smaller on the wings..... though it's not as if Savage used his size well.

[BadCompany]

Good analysis.

Its a safe deal. There is nothing overtly special to like about it, but then there is nothing overtly bad about it to not like it. Its a deal. Our team doesn't get a whole heck of a lot better (barring some unforeseen miracle), but nor does it get a whole lot worse (again, barring some unforeseen disaster).

We do get smaller on paper, sort of, but like you said, its not like Savage was the most physical guy in the universe anyways (though I do think he is somewhat underrated in this category, and definetely more gritty than Berezin). I don't think we got a whole lot smaller "on the ice" if you know what I mean. Maybe a little, but probably not enough to really make a difference.

I still fully expect Savage to score 40-50 next year, probably on Sundin's wing, but what are you going to do? Wasn't going to happen here, and its not like we didn't try. Andre Savard didn't plug any extra holes in the boat, but he made sure no new ones sprung in the meantime. We will not be losing a 1st or 2nd line left winger in the offseason, plain and simple. Any move Savard makes from here on in will be of his own accord, and not because he "has" to do something.

So in that respect we win out.

[Johnny Verdun]

Maybe 30, or 35, but I'll eat my hat if he's able to stay on Sundin's wing all year and pot 40 goals.  Good on him if he does, but I won't believe it till I see it.   I don't think Savage is first line material on the Leafs.  They'd be better off running Savage with Tucker and Corson (the "hab nots") and putting Mogilny and Roberts on Sundin's wings. IMO.

I've watched him carefully, and I'm not the least distraught by our failure to sign him to an extension.  I like what Savard's doing, and although there's a high number of NHL retreads on our roster, I believe that's because he sees that some young talent will be able to displace these guys over the next two years (Hossa, Plekanec, Milroy, Perezhogin, Balej).  All we need is for two of these guys to make the roster by fall 2003 to be able to make the transition we've all been pining for since the birth, it seems, of the magpie....