Savage-what is this guy's problem?

[habernac]

A quote from our favourite forward

Mark this down about the Canadiens: nothing is as bad as it seems. For example, Brian Savage was a surprise arrival yesterday, and joined five others, including Hackett and Theodore, on the ice.

Savage wasn't optimistic before the skate. "What am I doing here?" he asked. "I was told to be here. I do what I'm told. I haven't taken a shot since Saturday."

After the skate: "It went OK," said Savage, who missed the last four games with his wrist injury. "They'll tape it up and I'll play."

Boo hoo hoo. I make millions to play hockey and I don't want to get out on the ice and at least skate. No one is making you do anything, prima donna boy. They're just asking for you to put a little effort into it. Is that asking too much?

[clear observer]

Indeed. Sounds like a bitter boy. Too bad, there was a time I really liked Savvy, but alas, sounds like the writing is on the wall and that he's definitely on his way out...sooner rather than later.


CO

[Disgruntled70sHab]

Might be more to it. Often papers will print only what they want to and run behind the "we're not privy to the rest of the story" crutch.

In this case though, I don't know who to believe. I'd like to give Brian the benefit of the doubt, but it's hard to know what to believe.

We might be able to reasonably say that he's been pouting for a while now. Doc made reference to a meeting Savage and Savard had in which the GM basically told Savage where he stood on the club. Soon thereafter Savage's play seemed to ebb substantially. This talk I think was around the time Savage had refused the club's latest offer.

That said, he just has to get over it. He's wearing an "A" on his jersey but his actions and his play don't reflect a player who deserves it. Having a leader talking to the press the way he did can only adversely affect the dressing room as well. Not on mon capitain.

CO might be right in that Savage's tenure with the Habs might be coming to an end rather soon. It's unfortunate, but probably very true.

Cheers.

[Doc Holliday]

...he could be still around but became a reader.  

Savage makes it sound like he's being "pushed" towards playing while he's not all that ready.  Though I'm not impressed with Savvy this season, I can see where he's coming from when you establish a parallel with the time off given to Gilmour in December...  In any case IF they're playing Savage with an injury that isn't heal, I think it's a big big mistake.  The guy's injury could get worst and we'd lose him for 6-8 weeks, ruining any chance we have of moving him.  In any case he's a non-factor in almost every game he plays so what would an extra week off cost the team?

[Habs_fan_in_LA]

Somebody please!!!!! We all know that the good lord in his infinite wisdom gave Savage hockey talent and shortchanged him in the brains department. Next time there is a practice, slip into the dressing room, take Savy's watch and reset the Date to October first. Reset the Playmate of the month on his locker door to October and leave some Haloween costumes in his locker. It couldn't hurt. Still I'm glad to see him score a goal.

[PTH]

Savage is part of the new breed of players who want to get paid for what they could, or should, or might do.

He scores on a 35 goal pace, so he wants to get paid like a 35 goal scorer - even though he's inconsistent, injury-prone, and doesn't get much done otherwise.

Over time he's become a bit less shy about getting involved, but he's still soft as heck.

I once liked him, but after seeing him basically waste a terrific opportunity on a line with Koivu and Stevenson when Koivu was a rookie (Savage basically made the line ineffective while the other 2 did some solid forechecking) I've gotten down on him. I often wonder if he shouldn't have been kept as a 2-way, Mike Ridley-type center, rather than converted to a 1-dimensional sniper. Savage was, after all, the guy who was checking Koivu at the 1995 World Championships...

Anyhow, he's gotta go. He's not only not putting up the numbers, but not putting up the effort. He'll make us look bad for the odd stretch - just like Kovalenko, Rucinsky and Brunet made us look bad after dealing them, but overall the team is better off without Brian than with him


He's got marginal trade value and isn't worth the money he's asking for.
André, get us a 3d round pick, or some prospect, I don't really care, just get this guy outta here.