‘Poised to Take a Big Step': Oilers GM Makes Bold Statement on Possible McDavid Winger

The Edmonton Oilers' general manager, Stan Bowman, made a bold statement by saying 21-year-old forward Matt Savoie is 'poised to take a big step' next season.

There are still some holes to fill in Edmonton ahead of the next season, especially with Connor Brown and Corey Perry leaving for the New Jersey Devils and Los Angeles Kings in free agency. The team is in the market for a forward to put on the penalty kill.

However, in a recent interview, Oilers general manager Stan Bowman seemed confident that some players already within the organization could fill that role, such as Matt Savoie:

'There is some growth from within. I think Matt Savoie is probably poised to take a big step next year.'

That quote is a clear signal that the Oilers are looking to inject youth into a veteran core that's come painfully close to a Stanley Cup in back-to-back seasons. For Savoie, the door is open. Now he has to walk through it.

After being acquired in a trade from the Buffalo Sabres for Ryan McLeod and Tyler Tullio last summer, Savoie finally has a real shot to earn a spot in Edmonton's lineup-if he can show he's ready to contribute on the penalty kill.

Knoblauch also believes Savoie could help the Oilers with his great reliability at even strength:

'With Savoie, the one thing that I'm very optimistic about is penalty kill and how good he was in Bakersfield in that role. He didn't have any penalty-kill time when he was with us [four game call-up] but certainly, we saw him being a reliable two-way player at 5-on-5.'

Savoie had 54 points in 66 games in Bakersfield last season, but the focus isn't just on numbers. It's about responsibility and consistency on both ends of the ice:

'The opportunity for Savoie is on the penalty kill, not that he can't be on the power play, but I definitely see him being a big part of our penalty kill.'

It'll be interesting to see how Savoie fares at the upcoming training camp as he tries to compete for a full-time NHL lineup spot.