SUNRISE, FLORIDA - JUNE 07: Goaltender Stuart Skinner #74 of the Edmonton Oilers speaks to the media during Media Day ahead of Game One of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final between the Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena on June 07, 2024 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images)
Matheson: Edmonton Oilers’ Matt Savoie excited to join hometown team
“When I heard the news I was really excited, an Edmonton kid, always coming to games with my parents.”
Growing up in St. Albert, Matt Savoie says he’s collected Edmonton Oilers jerseys.
During his introductory media conference, he was asked whether it was Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl or somebody else.
“Definitely, (Ryan) Nugent-Hopkins,” said Savoie, who wore 93 in his last year of junior with the Moose Jaw Warriors, and also in his first NHL game last November as a member of the Buffalo Sabres before the surprise trade last week that sent the 20-year-old to the Oilers for centre Ryan McLeod and farmhand Tyler Tullio.
“Don’t imagine you’re getting 93 here?” Savoie was asked.
“No, definitely not,” said Savoie, with a broad smile.
If he’s losing out in the jersey numbers game here, Savoie, 20, probably is facing the same story on the ice with the stacked Oiler roster for the upcoming season, but he isn’t that far away. Savoie, who played centre in junior but might be an NHL right-winger, can afford to wait.
He was cheering for his hometown team in their playoff journey in secret with his buddies after Savoie’s trip to the Memorial Cup with Moose Jaw Warriors — even while a sharp Sabre prospect.
As deep as the Oilers are, Savoie immediately becomes their No. 1 prospect.
The five-foot-nine, 179-pound forward injured his left shoulder in the Sabres’ prospect tournament last fall, but still had 71 points in 34 games split between Wenatchee Wild and Moose Jaw.
How good was that? In a stick-tap to Jonathan Willis, the former The Athletic writer, Willis said he had a spreadsheet over a seven-year WHL period from 2003-2004 to 2010-2011 that showed Brayden Schenn (1.97 points per game) and Jordan Eberle (1.86) were the most prolific 19-year-old forwards. Savoie was 2.09 PPG last season.
