Savard: 'I'm happy to be on his side now'

BROSSARD -- Several players and head coach Dominique Ducharme spoke with reporters after the second round of training camp practices at the Bell Sports Complex on Friday.

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Forward Josh Anderson, defenseman David Savard and forward Jake Evans answered questions before Ducharme stepped up to the microphone.
Here are a few highlights from their respective interviews:
Anderson on his relationship with Jonathan Drouin and the importance of mental health:
Mental health is a serious topic these days. Not a lot of people on the outside know what we go through as athletes day to day. Everyone says, 'You guys make a lot of money and you should be able to handle it,' but it's the other stuff that goes along with it. I'm proud of him for stepping away and worrying about his health. That's the most important thing you have to do in a situation like that, and he did the right thing. I was fortunate enough to be one of his close friends last year and just keep in touch. I'd reach out to him every single day. We wouldn't even be talking about hockey, it would just be about life, just to make him still feel part of the team. And then when I came to Montreal about three weeks early, I was trying to look for a place, and the first message I got was from Drou. He welcomed me into his house with his girlfriend, and he made me stay with him. The focus that he had, just living with him, he was training in the morning, I would go with him, and then we would skate in the afternoon. Then, we'd finally get back to the house and he'd say, 'We're training again. I've got the trainer coming to the house.' I was like, 'Are we going to take a break today?' The focus on him, the mindset of him being absent for a period of time, it was non-stop in his house. It was good to see the focus back and the drive. There's really nobody I know that loves hockey more than Drou. It's amazing to see him back. The full smile's on him, he's happy, the guys are happy. He just brings that energy to our locker room, so I'm thrilled to have Drou back.

Anderson on adjusting to life without captain Shea Weber's leadership:
I don't think anyone can really replace Shea Weber. But, we've got guys who've been around long enough that are going to step up in that direction. With Savard coming in, he's been a leader in this League for a long time and just won a Stanley Cup last year, so we can look for him to step up. The same goes for Hoffman. He's been in the League for a while. It's the same with other guys on our team, too. There are a lot of guys that are maturing in the right way. They can all step up and take on that role. You don't always have to be the ra-ra guy in the dressing room, but just show your leadership on the ice and things like that.
Savard on his first few days in a Habs uniform:
It's going very well. We have a very good group of guys. I'm getting to know everyone. I want to have as much fun as possible. Every day is important. Training camp is short, so I want to integrate myself as quickly as I can. The goal is still the same, though: to win the Stanley Cup.

Savard on Anderson's evolution since they were teammates in Columbus:
He brought a lot of energy to our group in Columbus. It was a big loss when he was traded to Montreal. He can change the way a game is going by himself with the way he skates and hits. Over the years, he improved and he understands the game better. That's what allowed him to enjoy success in Columbus. I also think his positioning is a lot better than in his first few years in the League. He improved in that area to become a complete player. He's tough to face, so I'm happy to be on his side now.

Evans on his offensive potential with more NHL experience under his belt:
I don't really know if I could put a number on it, but I do feel as time went on last year, I felt more comfortable with the puck, especially in the offensive zone. Sometimes, I would kind of grip my stick a little bit too much or just focus on making that really safe play instead of slowing it down and maybe there's an open guy. With time, you just understand the game more, and I do think I can contribute a lot more offensively. I felt like I was a little more as the year went on, towards the end of the year, and in the playoffs a bit.

Evans on centering a line with Rafaël Harvey-Pinard and Joel Armia:
I love playing with Army. He's a strong, smart, skilled player. He's a very underrated player. He's just a really strong player. Harvey-Pinard's just a fun guy to play with. He's kind of like a Gally in a way. He's hungry and tenacious. He's a quick learner, too. He's been jumping right into the front of the line for these drills and done a really good job.
Ducharme on Evans' development:
I really like the way he plays. I like the little details in his game. He's a complete player. He uses his speed and he's intense. We can use him at different positions. There's a lot to like about him. He has shown a lot of good things during both practices.

Ducharme on the importance of Anderson, both on and off the ice:
He can make an impact on the game with his presence and speed. The physical side of his game can disrupt the opposition, and he can also score goals. As a person, he's the ideal teammate. He takes team success to heart. He's not the type of player who has an ego. He's engaged in what we're working on. He's always in a good mood. He brings good energy and he's appreciated by his teammates. There are a lot of reasons why we appreciate having him with us.