While it's great news that Bruins center Marc Savard is back skating and preparing himself for hockey, the team needs to be cautious. For more than a week after the franchise center was levelled with an elbow from behind, Savard had trouble dealing with light and other major symptoms of a serious concussion. I don't want to be the rain on Savard's parade here, but unless the Bruins make a serious run at the Stanley Cup, there's no need to rush him back to action.
Even with Savard back in the fold, Boston is a struggling offensive group and probably isn't balanced enough to challenge some of the upper echelon contenders. Putting him back out there, just puts him at risk for another concussion, which would seriously set back the team's plans for the future.
During the year, Savard and the Bruins agreed on a six-year extension which will likely keep Savvy in Boston through the end of his career. Next year, he's going to be expected to help tutor whichever player the Bruins grab with the second overall pick.
Thankfully, the Bruins have been down this road before and should know how to handle it. Patrice Bergeron was diagnosed with a Grade 3 concussion two seasons ago. Though he felt better towards the playoffs, the team sat him out, and ultimately helped him return to full health this season despite getting concussed again last year. If Savard were to suit up later on in the Sabres series or even later in the postseason and takes a brutal hit, the B's will find themselves down a franchise center for next season when expectations will be considerably higher than they are now.
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