Welcome to LWOS’ Summer Hockey Series, Best of the Rest. Plenty of sites do a version of a 30 greats in 30 days series, but this year we are doing something a little bit different. We want to look at the best player from each team who is not in the Hockey Hall Of Fame. In order to do this there are some rules. First the player must have been a significant part of this franchise (franchises include their time in a previous city… see Winnipeg/Atlanta) and must be retired for at least 3 years, making them Hall of Fame eligible. To see all the articles in the series, check out the homepage here.

Note: The HHOF rules, and they indicate that a player does not have to be “retired officially”, merely inactive for 3 years. As such our selection today is eligible for the Hockey Hall of Fame.

The other possible candidate for this spot, Slava Kozlov has been active in active in Europe and is not HHOF eligible.

With the Winnipeg Jets being shipped from Atlanta in May 2011, the Jets have a history of only three seasons. Though with the franchise history as a whole dating back to the expansion of 1999 to include the Atlanta Thrashers, there is a much broader selection of players that have had a major role on this franchise. There is however one name that did play for the Thrashers and in many people’s eyes, was underrated and yet still a major impact for his team: Marc Savard.

At the 1995 NHL Draft, the Ottawa native was selected 91st overall by the New York Rangers. He remained in the OHL with the Oshawa Generals and helped bring his team to a Memorial Cup appearance in 1997. In the following year of 1997-98, the Rangers assigned Savard to their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack. After throwing up 74 points in 54 games, he was called up by the Rangers to pursue the beginnings of his NHL career and rookie campaign with 28 games played. He continued the next season with the Rangers, this time playing a total of 70 games and amassing 45 points. At the season’s end, Savard would wind up with the Calgary Flames after being traded by the Rangers. Savard continued to prosper with the Flames in his first three seasons with the team playing 211 games, rallying up a total of 151 points. He wound up finishing second in team scoring behind Jarome Iginla in the 2000-01 season. In his fourth season with the Flames in 2002-03, after only playing 10 games, Savard was eventually traded to the Atlanta Thrashers on November 15th for Ruslan Zainullin.

Being traded to Atlanta really allowed Savard to blossom in the NHL by starting out playing with the likes of superstar wingers of Dany Heatley and Ilya Kovalchuk. Despite only playing a total of 57 games in his first season with Atlanta in 2002-03, Savard was able to prove that he was the top center on the team. He racked up 47 points, fourth on the team and first amongst all Thrashers’ centers. Unfortunately even with the offensive boost of Savard, the Thrashers were the very worst in goals against in the league, and wound up 11th place in the Eastern Conference, missing the playoffs.

It was obvious that Savard was the go to guy for centers for the Thrashers after his success from the season prior. However, the next season of 2003-04 was shortened for Savard due to injuries. Yet even with a shortened season of 45 games, he was able to put more points than games played, totalling with 52 and was one goal shy from being a 20 goal scorer in that shortened season for Savard.

With only playing just a little over half the season, Savard still remained as the top center for the Thrashers finishing first in points amongst his position on his team and fourth on the entire roster. The defensive side of things for the Thrashers did improve that year but not enough to make the playoffs as they finished two positions away from clinching a spot.

Though the following season of 2004-05 was darkened for the entire league due to the lockout, it didn’t stop Savard from playing. Like other NHLers, Savard took his game to Europe, playing in two Swiss leagues and remaining a superb player overseas.

The next season, the NHL was back and open for action once again. The Thrashers made a blockbuster trade sending one of their top wingers in Dany Heatley to the Ottawa Senators for Marian Hossa, an exchange of wingers for Savard to play with. This time around Savard proved to the league, media, and fans, that he was a top talent in the NHL. Savard was able to play a full and healthy season of 82 games and tally up a career high of 28 goals, 69 assists, for a total of 97 points. This ranked him second on the team and only one point behind the leading Thrasher, Kovalchuk, and in the top 10 in the league, ranking ninth and third in assists. This was the most successful season for Savard in his NHL career and his time in Atlanta. As well, this was the most successful season for the Thrashers with Savard on the team. Unfortunately the team was unable to qualify for the post season once again, being only two points shy from contention.

After his breakthrough season, Savard left the Thrashers as an unrestricted free agent and signed with the Boston Bruins on July 1st 2006 on a four year contract. He left the Thrashers being more than a point per game player in his three seasons played. With 184 games played and netting 196 points, Savard averaged a 1.065 points per game. It’s more than evident that Marc played a major role on this inexperienced Thrashers team and they relied on him while he sprout his potential at the same time.

Savard would go on into Boston continuing to play as a top player in the NHL for his first three seasons and even being named an reserved All-Star in Montreal in the 2008-09 season. With a few injuries, including a concussion, Savard’s production had decreased, eventually ending his career. He was however able to attain his first Stanley Cup in 2011 with the Boston Bruins before his departure from the league.

Prior to and during his time with the Thrashers, Savard was truly an underrated player. He showed everyone that he was a legitimate top player in the league with a fairly mediocre team. For those who were Thrashers fans, they’ll always remember what Marc Savard was able to do for their franchise and definitely deemed one of the best of the rest.

Photo courtesy of USA Today.

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