<p>Whoa. The NHL&#8217;s news cycle had seemingly dried up heading into the weekend, only for the Edmonton <a href="https://publish.oilersnation.com/2024/07/05/edmonton-oilers-trade-ryan-mcleod-ty-tullio-to-the-buffalo-sabres-for-matthew-savoie/">Oilers to send Ryan McLeod and Tyler Tullio to the Buffalo Sabres for Matthew Savoie</a>.</p>
<p>It was completely unexpected, but it addresses some needs for both teams. The Sabres wanted to get faster and snag some immediate, veteran help, while the Oilers got a high-end scoring winger coming off an up-and-down season.<br />
Long story short: I&#8217;m not sure how this deal came to be, but this is a mega-win for the Oilers. Well done, Jeff Jackson.</p>
<p>If you&#8217;ve never followed Savoie&#8217;s career, he&#8217;s an exciting prospect. Seriously, he&#8217;s one of the most skilled players outside of the NHL right now. For years before he was taken ninth overall <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/what-matthew-savoie-brings-to-the-buffalo-sabres-and-why-you-should-be-excited" target="_blank" rel="noopener">by the Sabres</a> in 2022, Savoie was being touted as a potential top pick in the draft, but his 5-foot-10 frame didn&#8217;t help his cause. Nobody doubted his pure skill, though, with Savoie scoring 103 goals and 263 points in 183 WHL games.</p>
<p>A native of St. Albert, Alberta, Savoie started the year nursing a shoulder injury from his first shift in the final game of the Buffalo Prospect Challenge in September. Savoie was one of the top players for Buffalo at the showcase tournament, but his injury resulted in him missing all of training camp and the start of the 2023-24 season. Savoie was eventually loaned to the Rochester Americans for a six-game conditioning stint, scoring three goals and five points in his first meaningful pro hockey action. He looked at home, playing with and against quality competition.</p>
<p>But the plan was always for Savoie to return to junior, and he was ultimately loaned out to the Wenatchee Wild. Savoie thrived against his own age group, scoring 11 goals and 24 points in 11 games before getting traded to Moose Jaw for their Memorial Cup push. Savoie had 47 points in 23 games there and another 24 points in 19 games in the playoffs, winning the WHL title.</p>
<p>One downside, though, was the fact Savoie struggled mightily at the World Juniors. An injury limited his effectiveness, but had he been fully healthy, there was no doubt he would have been one of the tournament&#8217;s top scorers.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>Savoie&#8217;s hockey sense can be a bit of an issue at points. It&#8217;s almost like he knew he was too good playing against junior players this year that he got lazy or gave the puck away trying to do too much. Playing in the AHL will expose those issues if not addressed, but we saw him thrive with Rochester – albeit with a more skilled forward unit than Bakersfield – even in a small sample size.</p>
<p>And, realistically, taking the Logan Stankoven route and being patient might be the way to go for Savoie. There&#8217;s no need to rush him into a competitive lineup on a full-time basis next year; let him season, get stronger and learn the pro lifestyle. He&#8217;s already had a taste for things, but next year will be significant for his development. For once, Savoie will enter a league where he&#8217;s not the top dog, even if many believe he is NHL-ready as it is. Had the NHL-CHL agreement not existed, Savoie would have likely been a point-per-game player in the AHL last year. That&#8217;s how skilled he is already.</p>
<p>But with the Oilers being a legitimate Cup contender again next year, there needs to be an actual pathway forward for him. Savoie is only 20, so they can spend some time having him get stronger and smarter with a pro coaching staff. Having him play bottom-six minutes without skill around him doesn&#8217;t make sense, and there&#8217;s the question of whether they&#8217;ll want him to play center or the wing.</p>
<p>Perhaps Savoie wanted a chance to play for his hometown team and thrive in a situation that won&#8217;t see him get buried by other similar players. We just don&#8217;t know right now, but that&#8217;s a major addition for an Oilers team who have managed to add even more firepower.</p>
<p>Do I think Savoie could play for the Oilers next season? Absolutely. Should he? Not on a full-time basis. But on a first pass, this is an absolute steal for the Oilers. McLeod was replaceable, and Tullio was a longshot to be an NHLer. Savoie, meanwhile, instantly becomes Edmonton&#8217;s best prospect, and someone with legit power to become a 60-plus point producer in the NHL one day.</p>
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Whoa. The NHL's news cycle had seemingly dried up heading into the weekend, only for the Edmonton <a href="https://publish.oilersnation.com/2024/07/05/edmonton-oilers-trade-ryan-mcleod-ty-tullio-to-the-buffalo-sabres-for-matthew-savoie/">Oilers to send Ryan McLeod and Tyler Tullio to the Buffalo Sabres for Matthew Savoie</a>.

It was completely unexpected, but it addresses some needs for both teams. The Sabres wanted to get faster and snag some immediate, veteran help, while the Oilers got a high-end scoring winger coming off an up-and-down season.
Long story short: I'm not sure how this deal came to be, but this is a mega-win for the Oilers. Well done, Jeff Jackson.

If you've never followed Savoie's career, he's an exciting prospect. Seriously, he's one of the most skilled players outside of the NHL right now. For years before he was taken ninth overall <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/what-matthew-savoie-brings-to-the-buffalo-sabres-and-why-you-should-be-excited" target="_blank" rel="noopener">by the Sabres</a> in 2022, Savoie was being touted as a potential top pick in the draft, but his 5-foot-10 frame didn't help his cause. Nobody doubted his pure skill, though, with Savoie scoring 103 goals and 263 points in 183 WHL games.

A native of St. Albert, Alberta, Savoie started the year nursing a shoulder injury from his first shift in the final game of the Buffalo Prospect Challenge in September. Savoie was one of the top players for Buffalo at the showcase tournament, but his injury resulted in him missing all of training camp and the start of the 2023-24 season. Savoie was eventually loaned to the Rochester Americans for a six-game conditioning stint, scoring three goals and five points in his first meaningful pro hockey action. He looked at home, playing with and against quality competition.

But the plan was always for Savoie to return to junior, and he was ultimately loaned out to the Wenatchee Wild. Savoie thrived against his own age group, scoring 11 goals and 24 points in 11 games before getting traded to Moose Jaw for their Memorial Cup push. Savoie had 47 points in 23 games there and another 24 points in 19 games in the playoffs, winning the WHL title.

One downside, though, was the fact Savoie struggled mightily at the World Juniors. An injury limited his effectiveness, but had he been fully healthy, there was no doubt he would have been one of the tournament's top scorers.

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.

Savoie's hockey sense can be a bit of an issue at points. It's almost like he knew he was too good playing against junior players this year that he got lazy or gave the puck away trying to do too much. Playing in the AHL will expose those issues if not addressed, but we saw him thrive with Rochester – albeit with a more skilled forward unit than Bakersfield – even in a small sample size.

And, realistically, taking the Logan Stankoven route and being patient might be the way to go for Savoie. There's no need to rush him into a competitive lineup on a full-time basis next year; let him season, get stronger and learn the pro lifestyle. He's already had a taste for things, but next year will be significant for his development. For once, Savoie will enter a league where he's not the top dog, even if many believe he is NHL-ready as it is. Had the NHL-CHL agreement not existed, Savoie would have likely been a point-per-game player in the AHL last year. That's how skilled he is already.

But with the Oilers being a legitimate Cup contender again next year, there needs to be an actual pathway forward for him. Savoie is only 20, so they can spend some time having him get stronger and smarter with a pro coaching staff. Having him play bottom-six minutes without skill around him doesn't make sense, and there's the question of whether they'll want him to play center or the wing.

Perhaps Savoie wanted a chance to play for his hometown team and thrive in a situation that won't see him get buried by other similar players. We just don't know right now, but that's a major addition for an Oilers team who have managed to add even more firepower.

Do I think Savoie could play for the Oilers next season? Absolutely. Should he? Not on a full-time basis. But on a first pass, this is an absolute steal for the Oilers. McLeod was replaceable, and Tullio was a longshot to be an NHLer. Savoie, meanwhile, instantly becomes Edmonton's best prospect, and someone with legit power to become a 60-plus point producer in the NHL one day.
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