With the ninth overall pick in Thursday’s draft, the Buffalo Sabres drafted Matthew Savoie, a center who spent time with the Winnipeg Ice.
The Buffalo Sabres hit a ringer, at least early on, with the drafting of center Matthew Savoie. Though undersized, the 5’9, 179lb Savoie was on my draft radar early before I wrote him off, believing he’d be picked before the Sabres were on the clock. And I’m proud to say I was wrong.
In short, the Sabres just grabbed themselves a playmaker who scored 90 points, 35 goals, and 55 assists in just 65 games last season. When you do the math, Savoie scored 1.38 points per game last season for the Winnipeg Ice of the WHL.
Why the Buffalo Sabres scored highly with Matthew Savoie
Once a consensus top three selection, Savoie’s stock dropped given his small size. But it didn’t stop him from excelling at the junior level. In 2020-21, with the WHL out of commission until February because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Savoie went south of the border to play for the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the USHL. There, he posted 38 points, 21 goals, and 17 assists in 34 games.
With his small size comes a phenomenal burst of speed and shiftiness. He can create scoring opportunities for himself and for teammates, and he always seems to know where to take the puck thanks to his stellar awareness.
Savoie has superstar potential, from his well-rounded shot to knowing where his teammates are going to be on the ice before they even get there, it seems the only downside, if you can call it that, is his size. But look across the four major pro sports leagues. Small players have led dominant careers in each.
Don’t expect Savoie to dress up in the blue and gold this season. Give him another year in Winnipeg and he might just crack the main roster come 2023. But the Sabres faithful should be ecstatic that their team drafted a kid whose talent nearly topped the charts in this season’s draft. Grade: An easy A.
(Statistics provided by Elite Prospects)
Matthew Savoie’s breakdown was made possible by the 2022 TCB NHL Draft Guide.