Savard Out At Bruins Training Camp With Post-Concussion Syndrome Symptoms

An already eventful summer for Boston Bruins center Marc Savard added another twist on Friday when training camps opened around the NHL. While the Bruins watch 56 players hit the ice for the beginning of their camp, Savard was not one of them. General Manager Peter Chiarelli announced that the 33-year old informed the organization "during the latter part of the summer" that he had been suffering from symptoms consistent with post-concussion syndrome.

Savard suffered a concussion on March 7 when the Bruins played against the Pittsburgh Penguins. While taking a wrist shot from near the point in the Bruins' offensive zone, he was clocked with a now infamous blindside hit from Penguins agitator Matt Cooke and had to be taken off the ice on a stretcher.

Obviously an injury of that nature needs to be handled with care. But this absence comes as a bit of a surprise considering Savard was cleared to play in the Eastern Conference Semifinals opener against the Philadelphia Flyers after having missed all of the Bruins regular season and playoff games since being taken out. Savard netted the game-winner in overtime to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead in the series.

He was also reported to have taken part in physical activity throughout the offseason, including working out with a personal trainer and participating in the late-August Canadian Mid-Amateur Championship golf outing in Quebec, according to Fluto Shinzawa of The Boston Globe. But as Chiarelli noted during a press conference with the media that it's not unheard of for a player to suffer symptoms of post-concussion syndrome much later.

"There’s a lot of incidents of that," Chiarelli said. "He’s in good spirits. I’ve talked to him. I met with him again. He’s in good spirits. He’s anxious to get back. We’re being very cautious. We’ll take it day by day."

Savard's status with the Bruins seemed to be more of a focus during the offseason than his actual health. When the Bruins selected Tyler Seguin second overall in the NHL Draft last June, it created a loghjam at the center position. The most likely candidate to be traded was Savard based on the seven-year, $28.05 million extension he signed last December creating a $4 million cap hit to Boston's payroll. Savard was armed with a full no-trade clause, though, and Chiarelli could never materialize a deal anyway. According to The Ottawa Sun, Chiarelli informed Savard on Sept. 5 that he was off the trade block.

In addition to almost getting Savard traded, that extension made him one of a names tossed around during the Ilya Kovalchuk debacle with the league and the New Jersey Devils. The framework of his contract reeked of cap circumvention based on its front-loaded nature. When Kovalchuk's original 17-year, $102 million deal from New Jersey was rejected by the league, Savard's new deal was re-examined by the NHL for potential de-registration until the league and Players Association agreed to amend the CBA rules and grandfather all previously agreed upon contracts.

Savard's feelings were hurt by the trade rumors and his contract being investigated had to weight heavily on him. But with all of that behind him and Chiarelli making it clear to Savard that he would remain a Bruin for now, it appeared as if 13-year veteran would come to camp ready to sport the pivot position on either the Bruins' top or second line. But then his health concerns re-emerged and now the team must wait for his symptoms to subside before getting him back in the game.

In a way, this provides the Bruins what they originally wanted by having Savard out of the lineup. It's just not the way they wished it would happen. Now Boston has the opportunity to see what team it can field as if Savard was traded over the summer. And when he is able to return, the Bruins will just need to find a way to fit him and his completely reasonable $4 million cap hit back into the lineup.