BLOG: Savoie prepared for Oilers opportunity coming out of the break

EDMONTON, AB – For Oilers prospect Matt Savoie, this is a lot more than just a chance for some extra reps during the break for the 4 Nations Face-Off.

Turns out, he’ll be staying when action resumes for the Oilers this weekend, and a shot at showcasing his growth in the NHL is one that he’s duly earned.

“For me, it's really exciting just to see where I could potentially play and where I could be, and it just brings more excitement to my eyes and makes me want to continue pushing myself as hard as I can to get to that next level and be a contributor here,” he said following Oilers pracitce on Tuesday afternoon.

Savoie is expected to see action with the Blue & Orange during their upcoming five-game road trip on the East Coast starting Saturday in Philadelphia after being among the Oilers players who practiced on Tuesday afternoon at Rogers Place for the first time in nearly two weeks after the break for 4 Nations.

The NHL allows teams that have players participating in the tournament to bring up players from the AHL to practice, but after Savoie was joined by veteran Derek Ryan, he'll be sticking around to get his first chance to pull on an Oilers uniform. The Oilers would still have to make a roster move prior to the weekend for Savoie to make his debut during Edmonton’s upcoming road trip, which starts off with back-to-back matinées against the Flyers and Capitals.

Head Coach Kris Knoblauch spoke after the practice and said the 21-year-old will play at some point on the trip despite a determination on when he'll play having yet to be made, but the bench boss believes that Savoie’s chance at a run of games with the Blue & Orange is well deserved.

“If he was down there and was playing poorly and wasn't one of the better players every single night, we wouldn’t be pulling him up here,” Knioblauch said. “The reports that we've had for quite a while is that he's been playing well and getting better every time, and that's in many areas of the game. We're very looking forward to seeing him play.”

Savoie played through the break with the Bakersfield Condors and has three goals and seven assists in his last 10 games, bringing the 2024 trade acquisition from the Buffalo Sabres up to 37 points (13G, 24A) in 45 AHL contests while playing in a star offensive role for Edmonton's affiliate.

“Things have been going really well,” he said. “You know, a little bit of a slow start adjusting to pro hockey, but I've been playing really well the last couple weeks or even a month, so I'm feeling really confident and feeling really good about my game.

“I think just trying to make that big jump to the pro level and kind of kind of pick out the differences in junior and try and really work on those areas. But I think it's been a pretty seamless transition and just looking to continue to get better every day.”

Coach Knoblauch shared a long discussion with Savoie as Tuesday’s practice started to get a first-hand review of how his season has gone in Bakersfield and is intrigued to see how the skilled winger will fit in after he worked hard for this opportunity.

“I think it was important that he did spend that time in Bakersfield, and as season's gone on, he's progressed and played really well,” Knoblauch said. “And we want to look and see how he fits into our lineup, whether there's a fit with somebody or maybe he's just not quite ready or whatever it is, but I think he's earned it. I think he's been playing very well in Bakersfield and we'll just see if he plays well, and then we'll make a decision after that.”

Savoie spent Tuesday’s skate at Rogers Place next to Leon Draisaitl, who said in his own media availability that he fits the mould of the type of player he likes to play with – fast, skilled, and hardworking on the forecheck.

“Yeah, he looked great I thought. He moves really well,” Draisaitl said. “You can tell he's got a lot of hockey sense to him. So maybe we'll get a couple games together and we’ll see what we have in him. Of course, I think he's been playing really well from what I heard, and I’m excited to see him.”

"It was really fun," Savoie added about playing with Draisaitl. "I got a little bit of a taste of it in camp, so I have somewhat of an idea of how it is to play with players of that skill level. But every time you're out there, it's a step up, and the plays he makes and the way he makes them is just so effortless, and he knows where to put the puck before it even comes to him. So it's really fun to play with a guy like that who can distribute and finish the way he does."