<a href="https://publish.oilersnation.com/2025/02/16/oilers-prospect-report-matthew-savoie-and-the-growing-nuance-of-his-game/">Matt Savoie</a> will make his Edmonton Oilers debut this weekend.
Technically, it won&#8217;t be his NHL debut as he played one game with the Buffalo Sabres last season. He dressed on November 10th against the Minnesota Wild. He logged 3:55 of ice time. It is difficult to make an impression in such a limited role. He had five shifts, and his first one was 14 seconds, followed by 1:02, 1:07, 0:40, and 0:52. He didn&#8217;t see the ice for the final 25 minutes.
It was still a thrill for the St. Albert product, but pulling on the Oilers jersey, the team he grew up cheering for, will be a much bigger deal.

Savoie has had an excellent rookie season in the American Hockey League. He is third in rookie scoring with 37 points, two back of leader Ville Koivunen, but points don&#8217;t tell the full story of his development.
He&#8217;s played in every situation — on the power play, penalty kill and even strength. His offensive production was slower early in the season, with 10 points in 18 games, mainly due to Bakersfield&#8217;s rash of injuries down the middle to Lane Pederson and James Hamblin. Savoie had to play centre for a bit, but he&#8217;s better suited as a winger. He can take face-offs on his strong side, and as a right shot that helps, but once Bakersfield got healthy his production increased. Skill needs skill to produce.
Savoie was selected with the ninth overall pick in 2022 for his offence. In his draft year, he scored 35 goals and 90 points in 65 games with the Winnipeg Ice and followed that up with 38 goals and 95 points the following year. Last season he produced 71 points in only 34 games split between Wenatchee and Moose Jaw in the Western Hockey League. He played one NHL game and six AHL games while dealing with an injury early in training camp that limited his playing time. But in Bakersfield his defensive reads and play away from the puck have been just as impressive as his offensive output.
Bakersfield&#8217;s general manager, Keith Gretzky, shared his thoughts on Savoie&#8217;s play thus far.
<blockquote>&#8220;Even at the beginning of the year when he didn&#8217;t really tear it up, his scoring chances for versus scoring chances against were still positive,&#8221; said Gretzky. &#8220;We track chances each game, and his have been consistent all season. <a href="https://publish.oilersnation.com/2025/02/16/oilers-prospect-report-matthew-savoie-and-the-growing-nuance-of-his-game/">He’s a smart player</a> with and without the puck. You look at his plus-minus, it&#8217;s high, as a plus player, and I think it&#8217;s because he&#8217;s got a great stick. He stays on the puck very well. And there is no quit in him.&#8221;</blockquote>
Has any aspect of Savoie&#8217;s game surprised Gretzky?
<blockquote>&#8220;You know what, I didn&#8217;t know him very much as a player or a person and I didn’t know what to expect, to be honest,&#8221; said Gretzky. &#8220;But how he thinks and processes the game has been great. If you are a prospect and you want to play for the Oilers, you need to be able to kill penalties. No one is going to play on their power play right now. I think that&#8217;s where Colin (Chaulk) and the coaches have done a great job of making sure that he gets his touches and he’s a key guy on the penalty kill.
&#8220;He really embraced the role and the challenge. He&#8217;s a great kid, I&#8217;m coming from not knowing him, and he&#8217;s soaked in everything.  He&#8217;s like a sponge. He&#8217;s very detailed and very focused. I think the focus and the details in his game have gotten so much better. I think maybe at the beginning of the year, he was trying a few moves that worked in junior, but he adjusted quickly to what would work here.
&#8220;What I love most about him is his determination. There&#8217;s no quit in him, and you never see him think he can’t do that (play). He has the mentality where I&#8217;m going to get the puck. And the guy blocks shots left and right on the penalty kill and five on five. It&#8217;s amazing. He’s literally been diving to block shots, and for a point producer that is kind of different.
&#8220;He&#8217;s earned a lot of respect because he plays the game the right way. There&#8217;s no cheat in his game. He’s been our best player by far.&#8221;</blockquote>
Lofty praise from Gretzky and it is clear Savoie has earned his recall. I give the organization credit for developing him properly and letting him build his confidence in the AHL.
Savoie was beaming when we spoke after Wednesday&#8217;s practice. It is always a good boost of energy and excitement in a room when a young player gets called up. All the veterans remember how they felt when they made their debuts or played their first few games, and it reminds them how lucky they are to be in the NHL.
Savoie is elated to be here, but he&#8217;s also confident he can help the team. He really enjoyed his time in Bakersfield and believes it has really helped his overall game.
<blockquote>&#8220;Being down in Bakersfield playing in every situation and playing a lot of minutes was great for me,&#8221; said Savoie. &#8220;Being able to rely on some of the older guys, early in the season, just for some advice on the systems and the day-to-day grind of pro hockey was great too. But I think I&#8217;ve done a really good job adjusting in the last month or two. Just getting more comfortable and into the flow of things, and not really thinking when I have to get the puck, instead I&#8217;m just doing it naturally, which is a big step to playing the game a lot faster and I think that’s why I was seeing good results.&#8221;</blockquote>
Confidence, feeling comfortable and reacting instead of thinking are keys to success. Savoie has all of that, but don&#8217;t overlook his defensive play. He takes a lot of pride in it along with killing penalties. Colin Chaulk said that Savoie has approached the PK like a checker and not a scorer. He&#8217;s willing to block shots and get in the lanes. He&#8217;s been good on the PK, but also very productive with six shorthanded points.
<blockquote>&#8220;That (PK) was a big part of my game in junior,&#8221; Savoie said. &#8220;Obviously it is a lot different than special teams at the pro level, but just having that little bit of experience, getting to play it the last three or four years and coming in this year, I think as an offensive guy, you kind of know what reads they want to make on the power play. And, you have a sense of what is coming, or what they might try in those areas. But like you said, just being a hardworking nose-over-toes guy who wants to create turnovers, be physical and have a good stick on the ice, those are the intangibles I&#8217;m looking to bring on the kill.&#8221;</blockquote>
The results might suggest Savoie has made the transition to pro hockey easy, but it wasn&#8217;t. He&#8217;s put in a lot of work, and I asked him what the biggest adjustment has been turning pro.
<blockquote>&#8220;Early on it was just how tight the systems are, how dialled in teams are defensively,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Obviously, everyone in that league is trying to get up here. No one really wants to give a sniff to the other team, and no one wants to be that guy who is getting called out in video or getting sent down to the East Coast. So, it&#8217;s a tight league. The systems are really tight, and I think that took some adjusting to just finding new ways to create offense. Also, outside of the system, I’ve learned the need to check hard to create offense and not really forcing plays as much. I think that&#8217;s become a big steppingstone in my game from the start of the year.&#8221;</blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
THE FASTEST MAN IN <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAHL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheAHL</a> is&#8230;.<a href="https://twitter.com/Condors?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Condors</a> forward and <a href="https://twitter.com/EdmontonOilers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EdmontonOilers</a> prospect Matthew Savoie! He wins CCM Fastest Skater with a time of 13.654. Whew!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AHL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AHL</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AHLAllStar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AHLAllStar</a> <a href="https://t.co/kQNKiHLVro">pic.twitter.com/kQNKiHLVro</a>
&mdash; FloHockey (@FloHockey) <a href="https://twitter.com/FloHockey/status/1886245497087950896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<h2>GETTING AN OPPORTUNITY&#8230;</h2>
Savoie did practice Tuesday and Wednesday on <a href="https://publish.oilersnation.com/2025/02/19/oilers-expected-to-recall-matthew-savoie-top-prospect-skating-with-leon-draisaitl-at-practice/">a line with Leon Draisaitl</a>. They didn&#8217;t recall him to start him on <a href="https://oilersnation.com/combinations">the fourth line</a>. I believe he will play with Draisaitl. Why not give him a look there, especially in Philadelphia against the Flyers who aren&#8217;t a top team?
It is great to play with an elite player, but it isn&#8217;t always easy for young players. You don&#8217;t want to make a mistake, and you want to get the star player the puck, sometimes to a fault.
<blockquote>&#8220;I think it&#8217;s a balance,&#8221; said Savoie. &#8220;It will be a little bit of an adjustment for me. I’ve played with good players at other levels, but obviously none like him, and you have to adjust around them and try and complement them. I think even today (Wednesday), from yesterday, I was more comfortable just dishing him the puck and knowing where he wants it, what some of his tendencies are like him swinging in the middle and little things like that. Hopefully, the more I play with him, the more comfortable we get, and I can keep reading off him and be in the right spots.&#8221;</blockquote>
Draisaitl has had an unreal season — he&#8217;s been the best player thus far in my eyes — and he&#8217;s done it without much goal-scoring from his wingers. Savoie doesn&#8217;t need to be on a 40-goal-scoring pace to be effective. If he can maintain possession and bury a few more chances than Vasily Podkolzin, <a href="https://publish.oilersnation.com/2024/07/02/five-fun-facts-about-edmonton-oilers-new-free-agent-addition-viktor-arvidsson/">Viktor Arvidsson</a> and the other wingers who have played with Draisaitl, we could see Savoie remain in Edmonton for the rest of the season. I don&#8217;t expect him to be a difference-maker. But if he&#8217;s a reliable, complementary winger, he could stick.
He&#8217;s shown, at the AHL level, that he&#8217;s capable of doing that, and maybe even more.
<h2>THE DAILY FACEOFF TRADE DEADLINE SHOW</h2>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@daily_faceoff"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-139755 aligncenter" src="https://publish.canucksarmy.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2099/08/TradeDeadline-2025_programmatic_Article-727x404-2.png" alt="" width="728" height="405" /></a>
Get ready, hockey fans! The <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@daily_faceoff">Daily Faceoff Deadline</a> is happening on March 7th from 11 AM to 4 PM Eastern, and you won’t want to miss it. We’ll be LIVE, breaking down every trade and big move as it happens, with instant reactions and expert analysis from the Daily Faceoff crew. Plus, we&#8217;ve got special guests lined up throughout the show, offering exclusive insights from some of the biggest names in the game. From blockbuster trades to surprise moves, we’re covering it all. Tune in to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@daily_faceoff">Daily Faceoff YouTube channel</a> and follow Daily Faceoff socials on March 7th to catch all the action!

<a href="https://publish.oilersnation.com/2025/02/16/oilers-prospect-report-matthew-savoie-and-the-growing-nuance-of-his-game/">Matt Savoie</a> will make his Edmonton Oilers debut this weekend.

Technically, it won't be his NHL debut as he played one game with the Buffalo Sabres last season. He dressed on November 10th against the Minnesota Wild. He logged 3:55 of ice time. It is difficult to make an impression in such a limited role. He had five shifts, and his first one was 14 seconds, followed by 1:02, 1:07, 0:40, and 0:52. He didn't see the ice for the final 25 minutes.

It was still a thrill for the St. Albert product, but pulling on the Oilers jersey, the team he grew up cheering for, will be a much bigger deal.



Savoie has had an excellent rookie season in the American Hockey League. He is third in rookie scoring with 37 points, two back of leader Ville Koivunen, but points don't tell the full story of his development.

He's played in every situation — on the power play, penalty kill and even strength. His offensive production was slower early in the season, with 10 points in 18 games, mainly due to Bakersfield's rash of injuries down the middle to Lane Pederson and James Hamblin. Savoie had to play centre for a bit, but he's better suited as a winger. He can take face-offs on his strong side, and as a right shot that helps, but once Bakersfield got healthy his production increased. Skill needs skill to produce.

Savoie was selected with the ninth overall pick in 2022 for his offence. In his draft year, he scored 35 goals and 90 points in 65 games with the Winnipeg Ice and followed that up with 38 goals and 95 points the following year. Last season he produced 71 points in only 34 games split between Wenatchee and Moose Jaw in the Western Hockey League. He played one NHL game and six AHL games while dealing with an injury early in training camp that limited his playing time. But in Bakersfield his defensive reads and play away from the puck have been just as impressive as his offensive output.

Bakersfield's general manager, Keith Gretzky, shared his thoughts on Savoie's play thus far.
<blockquote>"Even at the beginning of the year when he didn't really tear it up, his scoring chances for versus scoring chances against were still positive," said Gretzky. "We track chances each game, and his have been consistent all season. <a href="https://publish.oilersnation.com/2025/02/16/oilers-prospect-report-matthew-savoie-and-the-growing-nuance-of-his-game/">He’s a smart player</a> with and without the puck. You look at his plus-minus, it's high, as a plus player, and I think it's because he's got a great stick. He stays on the puck very well. And there is no quit in him."</blockquote>
Has any aspect of Savoie's game surprised Gretzky?
<blockquote>"You know what, I didn't know him very much as a player or a person and I didn’t know what to expect, to be honest," said Gretzky. "But how he thinks and processes the game has been great. If you are a prospect and you want to play for the Oilers, you need to be able to kill penalties. No one is going to play on their power play right now. I think that's where Colin (Chaulk) and the coaches have done a great job of making sure that he gets his touches and he’s a key guy on the penalty kill.

"He really embraced the role and the challenge. He's a great kid, I'm coming from not knowing him, and he's soaked in everything.  He's like a sponge. He's very detailed and very focused. I think the focus and the details in his game have gotten so much better. I think maybe at the beginning of the year, he was trying a few moves that worked in junior, but he adjusted quickly to what would work here.

"What I love most about him is his determination. There's no quit in him, and you never see him think he can’t do that (play). He has the mentality where I'm going to get the puck. And the guy blocks shots left and right on the penalty kill and five on five. It's amazing. He’s literally been diving to block shots, and for a point producer that is kind of different.

"He's earned a lot of respect because he plays the game the right way. There's no cheat in his game. He’s been our best player by far."</blockquote>
Lofty praise from Gretzky and it is clear Savoie has earned his recall. I give the organization credit for developing him properly and letting him build his confidence in the AHL.

Savoie was beaming when we spoke after Wednesday's practice. It is always a good boost of energy and excitement in a room when a young player gets called up. All the veterans remember how they felt when they made their debuts or played their first few games, and it reminds them how lucky they are to be in the NHL.

Savoie is elated to be here, but he's also confident he can help the team. He really enjoyed his time in Bakersfield and believes it has really helped his overall game.
<blockquote>"Being down in Bakersfield playing in every situation and playing a lot of minutes was great for me," said Savoie. "Being able to rely on some of the older guys, early in the season, just for some advice on the systems and the day-to-day grind of pro hockey was great too. But I think I've done a really good job adjusting in the last month or two. Just getting more comfortable and into the flow of things, and not really thinking when I have to get the puck, instead I'm just doing it naturally, which is a big step to playing the game a lot faster and I think that’s why I was seeing good results."</blockquote>
Confidence, feeling comfortable and reacting instead of thinking are keys to success. Savoie has all of that, but don't overlook his defensive play. He takes a lot of pride in it along with killing penalties. Colin Chaulk said that Savoie has approached the PK like a checker and not a scorer. He's willing to block shots and get in the lanes. He's been good on the PK, but also very productive with six shorthanded points.
<blockquote>"That (PK) was a big part of my game in junior," Savoie said. "Obviously it is a lot different than special teams at the pro level, but just having that little bit of experience, getting to play it the last three or four years and coming in this year, I think as an offensive guy, you kind of know what reads they want to make on the power play. And, you have a sense of what is coming, or what they might try in those areas. But like you said, just being a hardworking nose-over-toes guy who wants to create turnovers, be physical and have a good stick on the ice, those are the intangibles I'm looking to bring on the kill."</blockquote>
The results might suggest Savoie has made the transition to pro hockey easy, but it wasn't. He's put in a lot of work, and I asked him what the biggest adjustment has been turning pro.
<blockquote>"Early on it was just how tight the systems are, how dialled in teams are defensively," he said. "Obviously, everyone in that league is trying to get up here. No one really wants to give a sniff to the other team, and no one wants to be that guy who is getting called out in video or getting sent down to the East Coast. So, it's a tight league. The systems are really tight, and I think that took some adjusting to just finding new ways to create offense. Also, outside of the system, I’ve learned the need to check hard to create offense and not really forcing plays as much. I think that's become a big steppingstone in my game from the start of the year."</blockquote>
https://twitter.com/FloHockey/status/1886245497087950896
<h2>GETTING AN OPPORTUNITY...</h2>
Savoie did practice Tuesday and Wednesday on <a href="https://publish.oilersnation.com/2025/02/19/oilers-expected-to-recall-matthew-savoie-top-prospect-skating-with-leon-draisaitl-at-practice/">a line with Leon Draisaitl</a>. They didn't recall him to start him on <a href="https://oilersnation.com/combinations">the fourth line</a>. I believe he will play with Draisaitl. Why not give him a look there, especially in Philadelphia against the Flyers who aren't a top team?

It is great to play with an elite player, but it isn't always easy for young players. You don't want to make a mistake, and you want to get the star player the puck, sometimes to a fault.
<blockquote>"I think it's a balance," said Savoie. "It will be a little bit of an adjustment for me. I’ve played with good players at other levels, but obviously none like him, and you have to adjust around them and try and complement them. I think even today (Wednesday), from yesterday, I was more comfortable just dishing him the puck and knowing where he wants it, what some of his tendencies are like him swinging in the middle and little things like that. Hopefully, the more I play with him, the more comfortable we get, and I can keep reading off him and be in the right spots."</blockquote>
Draisaitl has had an unreal season — he's been the best player thus far in my eyes — and he's done it without much goal-scoring from his wingers. Savoie doesn't need to be on a 40-goal-scoring pace to be effective. If he can maintain possession and bury a few more chances than Vasily Podkolzin, <a href="https://publish.oilersnation.com/2024/07/02/five-fun-facts-about-edmonton-oilers-new-free-agent-addition-viktor-arvidsson/">Viktor Arvidsson</a> and the other wingers who have played with Draisaitl, we could see Savoie remain in Edmonton for the rest of the season. I don't expect him to be a difference-maker. But if he's a reliable, complementary winger, he could stick.

He's shown, at the AHL level, that he's capable of doing that, and maybe even more.
<h2>THE DAILY FACEOFF TRADE DEADLINE SHOW</h2>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@daily_faceoff"><img class="size-full wp-image-139755 aligncenter" src="https://publish.canucksarmy.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2099/08/TradeDeadline-2025_programmatic_Article-727x404-2.png" alt="" width="728" height="405" /></a>

Get ready, hockey fans! The <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@daily_faceoff">Daily Faceoff Deadline</a> is happening on March 7th from 11 AM to 4 PM Eastern, and you won’t want to miss it. We’ll be LIVE, breaking down every trade and big move as it happens, with instant reactions and expert analysis from the Daily Faceoff crew. Plus, we've got special guests lined up throughout the show, offering exclusive insights from some of the biggest names in the game. From blockbuster trades to surprise moves, we’re covering it all. Tune in to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@daily_faceoff">Daily Faceoff YouTube channel</a> and follow Daily Faceoff socials on March 7th to catch all the action!

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