It should come as no surprise that the Oilers of today have a much different prospect system than the Oilers of a decade ago.
Slogging through the league as one of the worst for many, the Oilers had multiple high-end draft picks, allowing them to stack the cupboards. The Oilers of today? Well, those draft picks are out the door in an effort to win a Stanley Cup.
So it should be no surprise that just one Edmonton Oilers prospect is on Daily Faceoff’s list of the Top 75 affiliated prospects. That lone player, Matthew Savoie, joined the organization this summer in a deal with the Buffalo Sabres in which the Oilers sent out Ryan McLeod and Ty Tullio.
The Oilers got younger and added a player with a significantly higher offensive ceiling than any other prospect in their system, which was looked at as a big win.
But as Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis opines in his rankings, the Oilers shouldn’t be in a rush to get Savoie to the big club.
I like Savoie, who, at 5-foot-9, is definitely on the smaller side, but his skill level isn’t. The first thing that stands out when watching Savoie is his playmaking. He plays the game at a high pace, which means making decisions on the fly under pressure. When the game’s moving slowly around him, he uses his patience to make the right pass at the right time. For someone who touches the puck as often as Savoie does, we don’t see him giving it up often or sending it to someone who isn’t ready. When Savoie makes a pass, he does it with a purpose. But the young center can also destroy you with his quick hands and flashy moves, especially in 1-on-1 breakaway situations. It’ll be interesting to see how the Oilers handle his development, but I think he should spend significant time in Bakersfield, focusing on becoming stronger and allowing him to learn how to beat older, stronger competition.
This year will be Savoie’s first full year of pro hockey, getting a six-game cup of coffee with the AHL’s Rochester Americans last year, where he scored two goals and five points. It was a promising showing for the young playmaker, who doesn’t let his lack of size be an issue.
He utilizes it as leverage in positioning well, our own Bruce Curlock wrote this summer, and that if Savoie can add muscle mass to his lower body, “his lack of size concern will quickly fade into oblivion.”
It’s just a matter of time until Savoie breaks into the NHL, whether it’s later this season or early next, and having him on an entry-level contract will be a huge help to the Oilers salary cap managemnt.
Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@thenationnetwork.com.
