After what turned into a successful rookie campaign, Edmonton Oilers young gun Matt Savoie could really take off in his sophomore campaign.
The 22 year old has been a highly touted player for much of the past decade, applying for exceptional status into the Western Hockey League in 2019. Although his application was denied for exceptional status he was selected first overall by the Winnipeg Ice and would go on to play 183 WHL games for the Ice, Wenatchee Wild, and Moose Jaw Warriors, scoring 103 goals and 160 assists for 263 points.
His high-energy, dual-threat impact style of play made him a top prospect for the 2022 NHL Draft where he was selected ninth overall by the Buffalo Sabres. Before turning pro on a full-time basis in the summer of 2024, Savoie was traded to the Oilers for centre Ryan McLeod and prospect Ty Tullio.
Savoie's impressive rookie year
Since entering the Oilers organization, he has progressed well, spending an entire season with the American Hockey League's Bakersfield Condors, scoring 54 points (19 goals, 35 assists) in 66 games in 2024-25. This past year, he made the Oilers out of camp and never looked back, amassing 37 points (18 goals, 19 assists) in 82 games played.
It did not exactly live up to the hype but 37 points in 82 games is nothing to scoff at. It looks especially impressive when paying attention to his season splits, which show a major improvement as the season went on after the Olympic break in February.
To begin the year leading up to the 2026 Olympics, Savoie scored just 18 points (nine goals, nine assists) in 58 games, averaging 13:50 time on ice per game. After the Olympics ended, he saw a big promotion in ice time at 17:04, while scoring 19 points (nine goals, 10 assists) in 24 games. He went from averaging 0.31 points per game to 0.79 points per game or from 25 points in 82 games to 64 points in 82 games.
There is some concern that this may have been a flash in the pan given the relatively small sample size but it should be remembered that the linemates played a big factor in his success. He went from playing mainly third line minutes, beside players like Jack Roslovic, Adam Henrique, and Trent Frederic to playing in the top-six alongside Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
What we can expect from Savoie's sophomore campaign
Given how hot Savoie ended his rookie season, it begs the question; What can we expect from his sophomore year?
Many people talk about a 'sophomore slump' but if he is used in the proper way, it is unlikely for Savoie to regress. He is a player who has a lot of skill and who has shown the willingness to adapt to the NHL style of play. If he is given a chance to play inside the Oilers top-six again, he should see his numbers improve year-over-year but if he goes back to the third line, it would be tough to imagine him doing much better than last season.
Which leads to an important factor, the Oilers head coaching change. The club fired head coach Kris Knoblauch, who is the man that put Savoie in a better position to end the year. They hired their new bench boss in Mike Babcock, who may see things differently and could deploy his lines differently, including Savoie.
If Savoie is in the top-six, it seems possible that he could surpass the 50 point mark and may even hit or exceed 60 points. However, if he does not play a lot of time there, it is likely he stays closer to his 35-40 point range from last season.
Hopefully Savoie comes to Oilers camp ready to prove he belongs amongst the Oilers top guns. If he does, he could surely become an important part of the core that deserves to be locked up sooner rather than later.
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