Patrick Williams, TheAHL.com Options Author
Matthew Savoie’s push to the Nationwide Hockey League had lengthy been within the making.
Acquired by Edmonton final July 5, Savoie made his Oilers debut on Saturday afternoon at Philadelphia, skating on a line with Leon Draisaitl and Vasily Podkolzin and selecting up an help.
Edmonton continues a five-game East Coast swing in Washington on Sunday. And with a compressed schedule down the stretch following the NHL’s two-week break for the 4 Nations Face-Off match, the Oilers may gain advantage from the 21-year-old’s contributions.
Savoie, who was chosen ninth general by Buffalo within the 2022 NHL Draft, is a local of St. Albert, Alta., a metropolis that neighbors Edmonton to the northwest. He performed his junior hockey within the Western Hockey League and made his professional debut with the Rochester Individuals in the course of the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs. Final yr he performed six video games in Rochester and one with the Sabres earlier than ending his junior profession with a WHL championship at Moose Jaw.
Starting his first full professional season this fall, Savoie was assigned to the Bakersfield Condors for additional growth. And he could effectively have handed that take a look at, rating third amongst AHL rookies with 37 factors (13 objectives, 24 assists) and third with a plus-16 score in 45 video games.
Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch is aware of the worth of AHL expertise for a prime prospect like Savoie; Knoblauch spent elements of 5 seasons with the Hartford Wolf Pack earlier than coming to Edmonton in November 2023.
“We need to give him just a little runway, seeing the place he suits in, and seeing [if] he’s prepared to assist our staff,” Knoblauch advised reporters on Friday. “I’ve absolute perception that he’s a participant that may play within the NHL. Is he a participant that’s going to maneuver the needle and make our staff higher? What he’s finished within the American League and what we’ve seen right here, we’re very excited to see what he provides us within the video games.”
After representing the Condors on the AHL All-Star Basic earlier this month,
Savoie had six factors in his final 5 video games for the Condors previous to his recall. Earlier than that, he participated within the 2025 AHL All-Star Basic, successful the quickest skater occasion on the Abilities Competitors with a lap of 13.654 seconds. Pace is the factor that units him up for fulfillment. He produces offensively, in fact, however each would-be NHL participant have to be additionally defensively accountable in right now’s recreation, and velocity has helped to permit Savoie to develop that a part of his recreation, giving him an opportunity to construct separation from opponents and in addition shut in on them when he’s with out the puck.
“I believe a number of it’s simply fast-twitch muscle mass,” Savoie mentioned of his velocity. “I labored with some fairly good skating coaches rising up. I simply really feel like I’ve a superb, robust decrease physique.”
A protracted 2023-24 season noticed Savoie play for 4 groups, along with representing Canada on the IIHF World Junior Championship. The offseason hardly slowed down, with the commerce to Edmonton, NHL coaching camp and the transfer to Bakersfield.
“It was undoubtedly a transition to start out on the professional stage,” Savoie mentioned. “It took just a little little bit of adjusting, however I really feel like I’ve been taking part in effectively previously two months. Each recreation within the Pacific (Division) is actually tight. You actually must be dialed evening in and evening out, and never take any nights off.”
Whether or not he’s with the Oilers or Condors (or each) going into the stretch drive, Savoie goes to be taking part in high-pressure hockey as his rookie season continues to unfold. Edmonton is battling for first place, whereas Bakersfield is at present tied for the ultimate playoff spot of their division. And he has that have of being with the Amerks in the course of the 2023 postseason to attract from.
“Going into [2023-24], I had extra of a [comfort level] in camp being across the guys for just a little little bit of the playoffs,” Savoie mentioned. “It was nice. They took me proper in. I bought to leap right into a recreation and really feel the environment of the AHL playoffs, which was good. It was good simply to dip my toes in and really feel what the depth was like, what the physicality was like, and I believe I’m simply taking that have.”
On the American Hockey League beat for 20 years, TheAHL.com options author Patrick Williams additionally at present covers the league for NHL.com and FloSports and is a daily contributor on SiriusXM NHL Community Radio. He was the recipient of the AHL’s James H. Ellery Memorial Award for his excellent protection of the league in 2016.
