The Columbus Blue Jackets drafted Savard in the fourth round (No. 94) in the 2009 NHL Draft with a plan to make him one of their more potent offensive-oriented defensemen. And that's precisely what he's become.

The native of Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, ranked first among Blue Jackets defensemen in goals (11) and second in points (36) during the 2014-15 season, and tied for the lead among defensemen with 25 points in 2015-16.

Savard has spent the bulk of his NHL career working on one of the top two defense pairings. A right-handed shot, Savard began to display his all-around ability a year after he was drafted when he set a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League record for assists by a defenseman with 64 while playing for Moncton.

That record, and Savard's plus-32 rating, helped him earn three league awards that season: the Kevin Lowe Trophy, given to the best defensive defenseman; the Émile Bouchard Trophy, given to the defenseman of the year; and the Canadian Hockey League's Defenseman of the Year.

Savard made the jump to the pro ranks a year later and finished the 2010-11 season tied for 12th among American Hockey League rookies with 43 points while also leading Springfield defensemen in goals (11), assists (32) and points (43).

Savard made his NHL debut on Oct. 7, 2011, against the Nashville Predators, and scored his first career NHL goal on Feb. 7, 2012, in a 3-1 victory against the Minnesota Wild.

NOTES & TRANSACTIONS

• QMJHL First All-Star Team (2010)
• Canadian Major Junior First All-Star Team (2010)
• Canadian Major Junior Defenseman of the Year (2010)