When Ryan McLeod was traded to the Buffalo Sabres for Matthew Savoie, it was generally received positively among fans in Edmonton.

McLeod had been a very good third-line center with a defensive focus and he had some utility as a winger higher in the lineup. However, he was also one year removed from a contract year which was going to be relatively expensive for an Oilers team with some larger financial commitments on the way with Evan Bouchard and Connor McDavid.

In addition, the Oilers had just re-signed Adam Henrique to a reasonable two-year deal and he had potential in the 3C role. With Savoie playing on an entry-level contract of roughly $866k, it seemed like a salary cap style of deal where his deal could provide excellent cap benefits if he could contribute to the Oilers.

Of course, that’s a big if. 

Some wanted to see Savoie immediately on the roster. However, for me, playing a year in Bakersfield as a professional rookie made sense. Maybe there would be an end-of-the-year call-up or maybe as a black ace in the playoffs, but let him develop in the AHL and bring him to Edmonton next fall.

Well, as the Edmonton Oilers hit the ice in Philadelphia to resume the NHL season, Matthew Savoie does not find himself with the Condors, but instead taking practice reps alongside Leon Draisaitl.

Will the much-heralded first-round pick make his Oilers debut this weekend? Sure seems like it. Now we just need to know about the if.

Let’s start right here. Savoie is an incredibly fast skater. We have some proof that he is very elite at this skill.

That time is only 2/10ths of a second behind the time of Connor McDavid when he won this same competition at the NHL All-Star game in 2024. Savoie can absolutely burn.

His skating has been a very important tool in his early days as a professional. Here is a clip from last season showing his stride and how it leads to speed and power. He has a great form. Hips, knees and toes are all in alignment. Great knee flex. His skates stay nice and low to the ice, so the return to center on each stride is quick. His upper body is in a great forward tilt position with his chest still up to keep balance. All of this equates to a very fast skater, who is also quite powerful.

Savoie is not a dynamic lateral skater in that he’s not going to break the ankles of players with quite lateral decisions. He’s more of a quick-start skater who uses his powerful stance and low center of gravity style to make plays. Here is an example of the penalty kill. Here his quick starts close gaps very fast and cause lots of issues for opposition players.

Here is another example of how his quick first step creates separation for him and allows him to get to pucks in good positions.

Savoie will have no issues keeping pace in the NHL. Indeed, he will be able to use his skating to influence plays both offensively and defensively. He will improve the speed equation of the Oilers and that is always a good thing.

This question is going to come up often. Matthew Savoie is 5’9″ and 180 pounds.

For comparison, Brayden Point, who played with Connor McDavid in the 4 Nations, is 5’11”. Viktor Arvidsson, who is Leon Draisaitl’s current right winger, is 5’10”.

So Savoie’s stature is smaller. He will be challenged physically in the NHL unlike any place else he has played. However, Savoie has some assets that should help him. We have already seen how his skating stance makes him a very difficult player to knock off the puck. He is also very good on the walls. He keeps his feet moving and he has an understanding of leverage and how to manipulate his frame to win battles.

Here is another example from his time in Rochester last season. Again, Savoie initiates contact and uses his strong stance and posture to knock a much bigger player off balance. He creates a 50/50 puck battle for his team.

To my mind, this will be the critical factor in determining success for Savoie in the NHL. His ability to win wall battles in all three zones will help his cause. Plays like this can lead to opportunities for both Savoie and his linemates.

When I was asked after the trade why I thought Savoie needed time in the AHL, I said he needed to learn the defensive side of the game as a professional.

This took two forms. First, Savoie was just turning professional and was about to play bigger and faster players. Second, Savoie had played mostly as a center in junior hockey, but his clear path as an NHL player was as a winger who dabbled at center. That is a different set of defensive responsibilities.

After four months as a pro, it is clear that Matthew Savoie is a quick study. First, Savoie works very hard at defence and it starts in the offensive zone. Savoie maintains very good discipline at forechecking structure.

On this play below, he leads a forecheck to create a loose puck. When he sees his teammates on the wall, he backs out to a nice F3 position to protect against outlet passes. When his check slides down to the wall battle, Savoie goes with him to take away time and space in the event the puck goes to his check. It does. Savoie’s presence causes a turnover and leads to a goal.

When the play does break down, Savoie is often the first forward heading back to help defend the attack. Here is a great example of Savoie’s skating helps him with transition defending. Again, his strength on his skates plays a massive role in the success of this play.

Finally, Savoie is quite good in his own zone. He understands his role and when to step into emergency situations. Savoie also has the ability to be physical when needed. Most importantly, he has great puck skills and patience that help him transition pucks out of his zone.

The reason Savoie was called up at this time I believe is because the team thinks he can be counted on defensively. His defensive game has actually been more consistent than his offensive game this season.

This will be critically important because, at some point, Savoie will see time with Draisaitl or McDavid. When he does, he will be playing against some of the very best NHL players and he needs to be able to defend against them.

This is the exciting part of the equation. The Oilers need offensive wingers. Matthew Savoie is an offensive winger.

We have already spoken about how he is not an ankle-breaking dynamic rush attack player. I think that is why Buffalo were fine with moving on from him. However, that does not mean he cannot be a good or even great offensive player in the NHL. Indeed, he has some qualities that I think translate very well to this league.

Most importantly, Savoie is a very quick decision-maker. Before the puck gets to him, he already knows what he is doing. He is an excellent scanner of the ice before he gets the puck and he executes what play he sees very efficiently.

These three plays are what you will see a lot of from Savoie in the NHL. The puck will not be on his stick very long. He is not Mat Barzal carrying the puck around the offensive zone for 15 seconds. He is going to get to space that is open for a pass or get to a loose puck first and within one second, he will be moving the puck to another player.

He also shoots the puck incredibly quickly. His release does not require a lot of space to get the puck off accurately and with pace.

All of these shots are the same. Very little backswing and very little upper body motion. On the stick. Off the stick. This will help him in the NHL when players are on him even quicker when he’s getting ready to shoot.

Overall, this zone is where fans will get excited. There is a very real potential to see a lot of shifts like this with Savoie playing with skilled linemates. First to the puck. Find space. Quick attacks. Rapid decision-making. Excellent passes.

Savoie’s ability to get to pucks, find open space when someone else has the puck, and to execute plays when the puck comes to him are what makes this player very intriguing. His microprocessor works at a very elite level. One that can fit the high-octane skill on the Oilers’ roster.

Make no mistake, it is early days for Savoie. I didn’t see him getting called up, but he’s earned that promotion. Whether he can solve the if question will likely begin this weekend. If he does, the Oilers have a whole new dynamic in their forward group.

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