Many pegged the Buffalo Sabres as a trendy playoff team this year. Through 13 games, they’re on the outside looking in, but it’s an extremely tight division. Anything can happen.
The most intriguing part about watching this team, though? The youth movement. It starts with Devon Levi in net, and spreads throughout a core that includes 20-year-old Owen Power, 21-year-old JJ Peterka, 22-year-old Dylan Cozens and 23-year-old Rasmus Dahlin. With most of the Sabres’ future locked up long-term, this team means business.
Next up? Matthew Savoie, one of the best prospects in the NHL today.
Drafted ninth overall in 2022, Savoie, 19, had the chance to challenge for a roster spot in training camp. But he injured his shoulder during his first shift of the Sabres’ final game at the 2023 Buffalo Prospect Challenge back in September. Savoie was one of the top players for Buffalo at the showcase tournament, scoring twice against Montreal to open up the three-game slate.
Savoie is coming off a six-game conditioning stint with the AHL’s Rochester Americans, scoring three goals and five points in his first meaningful pro hockey action. He looked at home, playing with and against quality competition. Suddenly, instead of getting loaned back to the WHL’s Wenatchee Wild, he skated on the Sabres’ top line yesterday at practice ahead of a potential NHL debut on Friday.
If you haven’t followed Savoie closely, he scored 35 goals and 90 points during his draft season, good for seventh among all WHL players, regardless of age. He followed that up with a 95-point campaign last season, and had he spent the entire year back in the WHL again this year, the 100-point barrier would be smashed.
The first thing that stands out when watching Savoie is his playmaking. He plays the game at a high pace, and that 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.
The elephant in the room? The NHL-CHL agreement. Given what we saw from Savoie during his stint with the Americans, he can handle second-tier pro hockey. But he’s still 19, and if he doesn’t stick with the Sabres, he’ll have to go back to the WHL, the league he already tore apart over the past two seasons.
In a perfect world, Savoie will perform well enough over the next few games to really bolster this group. Savoie has the explosive speed you need for the NHL while possessing the energy of a young buck trying to do whatever it takes to stay alive in this league. Savoie is a high-tempo forward with PP1 upside, and I’d expect him to have no issue adjusting to the pro game once he’s in Buffalo full-time.
But at 19, what’s the rush? They’re a little banged up right now, with Jack Quinn, Zach Benson and Dylan Cozens all missing time. Once they’re back, Savoie (and Benson) would be better served chasing a championship with the Wild. There’s also the world junior championship, where the pair would likely line up together on the first line for Canada in hopes of landing the nation its third consecutive title.
Ice time is valuable. Your top young stars need it. Just ask Juraj Slafkovsky. And for as good as he was in Rochester, the AHL isn’t the NHL. Expect more bumps in the road.
So, we’ll see how the Sabres handle Savoie’s short-term development. Having him alongside NHL coaches and players is more valuable than destroying a poor teenager’s save percentage every night. A nine-game run before sending him back to junior in time to rejoin Canada seems like the way to go here. But if he’s not ready, don’t rush him. Savoie can still learn more in junior, like attacking more defensively and becoming more physical.
I, like many who have followed Savoie’s career, am thrilled about his arrival. Whether it’s short-lived or not, he’s someone who’s been in the prospect atmosphere for over half a decade now. It feels like a long time coming.
And Sabres fans should be thrilled they landed him when they did. Savoie is on the path to NHL stardom, and this is just the appetizer.
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