Matt Savoie

Last Season

Eighteen goals and 37 points in all 82 games at twenty-two years old, on just under fifteen minutes a night, with five power-play goals. For a player of his age and size in his first full season, that is a real result.

The Finesse Game

Everything starts with the feet. He is quick in a short space — three or four strides and a change of direction — which is what lets a 5-10 forward play in traffic without being erased. He protects the puck by moving it, not by shielding it, and he is very hard to line up in open ice.

The hockey sense is the part that has scouts optimistic. He finds the soft ice between layers of coverage and arrives there a half-second early, which is why he generates chances without needing the puck on his stick for long. The shot is quick and accurate from mid-range, and he is comfortable one-timing on the power play.

He is a natural center who has spent time on the wing, and the projection depends on whether he can hold up in the middle against grown men.

The Physical Game

Five-ten and 179 and there is no getting around it. He is not going to win a battle on the wall against a heavy defenseman, and there are nights when a physical opponent takes him out of the game entirely. He does not shy away from any of it, which is admirable and will not by itself solve the problem.

The Intangibles

He was the ninth pick in 2022 and came to Edmonton for Ryan McLeod, a trade that looks better every year. Nothing about his development has been dramatic or rushed.

The read is straightforward: the skill is genuine, the compete is genuine, and the only real question is whether a player this size can be a top-six center or ends up a very good winger. Either outcome is a good one for this team.