Bruins’ Marc Savard Officially Out For Season After Concussion

After suffering his second serious concussion in under a year, Marc Savard will sit out the remainder of the season. The Boston Bruins announced that news during a press conference on Monday afternoon.

From the team:

Boston Bruins General Manager Peter Chiarelli announced today that forward Marc Savard has been placed on long term injured reserve and will miss the remainder of the 2010-11 regular season and playoffs, should the Bruins qualify.

Perhaps the biggest dose of reality during the press conference came when Savard says that he sometimes forgets when he’s asked somebody a question. “What scares me most is the memory thing,” he said.

While it’s not a good move for the Bruins this season and it’s completely upsetting to think about with regard to Savard’s career, it’s hard to argue that this isn’t the right move for Savard’s life. We’ve seen too many cases of players coming back too soon, suffering more concussions, and then suffering later down the line in life as well.

That’s happened to an extent with Savard already. He suffered his first concussion last season after being hit in the head by Pittsburgh’s Matt Cooke, and he admittedly returned to the lineup too early during the Bruins’ playoff run last season. He missed time at the start of the current season before returning, only to suffer another concussion.

The Bruins’ team doctor, Dr. Peter Asnis, said during the press conference today that rest and the removal of stressors is the only way to combat a concussion. It’s vital, then, that Savard sit out for an extended period of time. Hopefully this helps him get the rest he needs and hopefully he can return to form next season.

As for the impact on the current Bruins’ season, Chiarelli has placed Savard on long-term injury, as the announcement above stated. The team is now able to spend above the cap to the tune of Savard’s $4 million salary cap hit, which means they can effectively replace Savard on the roster until he returns.