Concluding our top 10 prospect countdown for the Edmonton Oilers ahead of the 2025-26 season, No. 1 is forward Matt Savoie.
The St. Albert, Alberta native was originally drafted by the Buffalo Sabres ninth overall at the 2022 NHL Draft having been a highly regarded prospect for many years before. The Oilers acquired Savoie from the Buffalo Sabres last summer, sending Ryan McLeod and prospect forward Tyler Tullio in exchange.
He played his first season of professional hockey last season, spending most of his debut season in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Bakersfield Condors, scoring an impressive 19 goals, 35 assists for 54 points in 66 games. Towards the end of the season he was rewarded for his strong play with a four game callup to play with the Oilers.
He has always been a highly skilled player possessing elite speed and incredible vision, with both high end playmaking and goal scoring abilities. Mixing his talent with his diminutive size at 5-10 179lbs, he gets type casted by many into being an all-skill player.
However, using the words of Oilers director of player development Kalle Larsson from earlier this summer, he said about Savoie "I think with his first year in pro, he showed that he's not just a one-trick pony, he's not just an offensive guy and I think that versatility in his game, allows him to compete for more spots on the team." Adding "He's willing to do what it takes to make it to the NHL and he's going to get a good chance to show what he's got."
His comments speak to a player who is able to play a variety of roles and is not simply an all-offense player, a category he can get placed into. There were signs of this during his call-up last season and so far in exhibition play this year, he shows a willingness to forecheck and pressure opposing players with the puck.
Future outlook
Savoie enters this season with an expectation to win a regular spot on the club's opening night lineup and provide cheap secondary scoring on an entry-level contract (ELC). As of right now it is hard to predict where he will break in but using recent reporting by insider Jason Gregor on the current plan from head coach Kris Knoblauch, he should be able to secure a spot in the top-nine.
If things shake right for Savoie, he may be able to land a spot alongside one of the Oilers superstars down the stretch, playing on the wing with either Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl. If he can do this, it would give him a great opportunity.
Using last year as a measuring stick, Savoie has shown an ability for his offensive output to translate in a pro setting but the NHL is a different animal from the AHL and there have been plenty of young players who look promising in the minors but cannot carry it to the show.
However, there seems to be a strong belief in him and the early returns look incredibly promising for his projection. If he can for the Oilers brass' hand and secure a high spot in the lineup it does not seem out of the realm of possibility for Savoie to contend for the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie.
NHL potential
Speaking on this previously, in the short term, it seems that Savoie has developed or possesses qualities that give him the ability to play up and down an NHL lineup. Given the club's vacancies, he could also fit into a legitimate top-nine spot as early as this season which would of course makes his floor quite high.
His pedigree as a prospect, having been a high end scorer at every level he has played at makes his ceiling quite high as well. Although he came up through the junior ranks playing centre, given his smaller size and how he has been used thus far, it seems most likely he finds himself playing the wing.
This would suit his play style and physical limitations best but also gives him a great opportunity to play alongside of two of the best players in the entire NHL. It seems at this stage that a conservative estimate on his ceiling would be a top-six forward but it is hard to ignore that the sky is essentially the limit for a player as talented as Savoie.
This sky high potential is what really separates him from our No. 2 ranked player, Ike Howard in our top 10 prospects list.