The Edmonton Oilers got some tough off-season news when it was announced that Matt Savoie will be missing from training camp and will be out until late October with a lower-body injury. The injury, the team confirmed, was suffered during training this summer.

Savoie had an excellent rookie season, playing in all 82 games and amassing 37 points. He seemed to come on more as the season progressed, getting more comfortable playing in an involved, top-six role. He also was an important figure on the penalty kill, gaining more trust from the coaching staff the more they saw of the young forward.

Savoie’s absence leaves a hole in the Oilers lineup, with many having Savoie pencilled in alongside Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman. This line was together for stretches of last season and did a great job controlling play. Savoie is a relentless forechecker who creates turnovers, chaos and space, enabling his linemates to find scoring areas. He brings the same energy and work ethic on the penalty kill and in the defensive zone, both things the Oilers will look to improve on this season.

In the interim, expect increased roles and ice time for the depth players, including Trent Frederic, newcomer Mathieu Joseph, as well as Colton Dach, Max Jones and Quinn Hutson. The Oilers have the depth to replace Savoie in the short-term, and it will be interesting to see if one of these players is able to seize the opportunity, making a stronger case for a roster spot later in the season. I don’t expect Savoie to lose his spot in the lineup when he returns, however, his chemistry with the others in the top-six is clear, and his game complements the style of play that the Oilers will look for out of their top lines.

The second piece of the equation coming from this injury is the longer-term effects that Savoie could deal with from missing training camp and then slotting into the lineup when all of the other players around the league have games under their belt. In the past, some young players who have missed time and made it back into the lineup partway through the season have struggled – the reps in training camp seem to help players early in their careers.

Quinton Byfield missed camp and the first games of his second season in the league and struggled when he returned. He needed some time in the AHL and eventually ramped back up to modest NHL production that season. He also acknowledged throughout that season how difficult he found it to return mid-season. A young William Nylander missed time in the 2018-19 season while holding out for a new contract and struggled to get up to speed when he returned, scoring only 27 points in 54 games that season.

Savoie’s game relies on his speed, work ethic, and skill, so the injury will need to be 100 per cent before he can really ramp up training to be ready to return. Will he struggle when he returns? Having young legs should allow the speed to come back quickly, and I don’t expect the work ethic to change at all. The skill, and finish that comes with it, might be the attribute that takes the longest to return to last season’s form.

Missing camp and a focus on conditioning when he returns will probably have Savoie’s goal-scoring prowess down a bit as he eases back in. Players often say that goal-scoring is the last thing to come back after missing time. I still expect him to be creating for his linemates and being a pain for the opposition, but getting to the goal-scoring areas and the fine art of finishing might take some time. It’ll be important for the Oilers to stick with Savoie if this happens – he’s an essential piece of the puzzle up front, and the Oilers are relying on him to take a step forward this season, becoming an even bigger part of a winning lineup.

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