COLUMBUS, OHIO - The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed defenseman David Savard to a five-year contract extension that begins in 2016-17 and continues through the 2020-21 National Hockey League season, club General Manager Jarmo Kekalainen announced today. As is club policy, terms were not disclosed.

Savard, 24, set career highs and led Blue Jackets defensemen in goals and ranked second in points with 11 goals and 25 assists for 36 points with 71 penalty minutes and an “even” plus/minus rating in 82 games during the 2014-15 season.

His 11 goals were tied with Jamie Heward (2000-01) for the second-most in club history by a blueliner, trailing Bryan Berard’s 12 in 2005-06, while his 36 points were the fourth-most by a defenseman in club history. He also ranked second on the team in time on ice, averaging 22:56 per game.

"Getting David signed to a contract extension was a priority for us and we are very happy to have reached a long-term deal with him," said Kekalainen. "He has taken tremendous steps the past two seasons and responded very well to the larger role he played on our blueline last season. We are excited about his future with the Blue Jackets."

A native of St. Hyacinthe, Quebec, Savard has tallied 18-43-61 and 115 penalty minutes in 187 career NHL games with the Blue Jackets. He notched 5-10-15, 28 penalty minutes and was +2 in 70 games in his first full season with Columbus in 2013-14 after spending most of the 2011-12 and 2012-13 campaigns with the American Hockey League’s Springfield Falcons.

Selected by Columbus with its third pick, 94th overall, in the 2009 NHL Draft, Savard recorded four assists, six penalty minutes and was +10 in 10 games to help Canada capture gold at the 2015 IIHF World Championships in Prague and Ostrava, Czech Republic. He also played in three seasons in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League from 2007-10, collecting 23-110-133 and 109 penalty minutes in 199 games with Baie-Comeau and Moncton. He was named the Canadian Hockey League’s Defenseman of the Year and QMJHL Best Defenseman in 2009-10 after registering 13-64-77 and 36 penalty minutes in 64 games with Moncton to help the club win the QMJHL championship and advance to the Memorial Cup tournament.