3 reasons why Matt Savoie can make the Buffalo Sabres roster
The Buffalo Sabres could have room at forward for a prospect or two to join the NHL ranks. Could Matt Savoie wind up with the Blue and Gold?
Yesterday, we discussed why Isak Rosen could wind up playing for the Buffalo Sabres in 2203-24, but Matt Savoie will also be another high-profile candidate looking to crack the NHL lineup. Savoie doesn’t have anywhere near the experience in the pro game as Rosen, but his productivity in the junior leagues will warrant him a look.
Savoie has a few downsides, and we saw them on display during his brief stint with the Rochester Americans in the Calder Cup Playoffs. While he drew a penalty and showed a knack for locating the puck, he also struggled physically against the bigger, stronger Hershey Bears squad.
Therefore, if Savoie earns a spot on the Sabres roster, it’s likely he could end up being limited to a Victor Olofsson-like role in 2023-24. And that’s something Buffalo may want to bypass should they move Olofsson. Anyway, there is a lot to like about Savoie, and it could help him snag a spot on the roster.
Why Matt Savoie could earn a spot on the Buffalo Sabres
1 – Productivity
The junior leagues aren’t the AHL and they definitely aren’t the NHL, but there is no denying that productivity-wise, Savoie dominated, scoring 95 points, 38 goals, and 57 assists in the regular season before he followed it up with 29 points, 11 goals, and 18 assists in 19 playoff games.
Overall, Savoie’s output was nothing short of phenomenal. And if he can show the same thing playing against some NHL talent in the preseason, he could get a leg up on the competition.
2 – Savoie could easily fit the third line
This second point isn’t much different from the first, except that, if the Buffalo Sabres bring back Tyson Jost and Casey Mittelstadt also reverts to the third, then Savoie, like a few prospects including Rosen, could be a natural fit in 2023-24.
Jost and Mittelstadt showed last season they could bring a gritty edge to their game, and the latter displayed a tendency to find the open man often, setting up scoring chances. This would allow someone like Savoie to play to his strengths while he becomes acclimated with the NHL.
3 – The “Shane Wright Route”
A month ago, I would have told you that Savoie had a leg up on Jiri Kulich and Isak Rosen to snag a spot on the Buffalo Sabres roster. At this point, my thoughts have reverted back to Kulich and Rosen being the front runners, along with Lukas Rousek.
However, Kulich, Rosen, and Rousek are AHL eligible; Matt Savoie is not unless the Sabres want to take advantage of some loopholes, much like the Seattle Kraken did with Shane Wright. This would force the Sabres to keep Savoie on the roster long enough before they could send him to Rochester to play a handful of games, and ultimately assign him back to the WHL’s Winnipeg Ice.
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In this case, which I believe is the likeliest to occur, look for Kulich, Rosen, or Rousek to ultimately take the third line winger spot if general manager Kevyn Adams finds a trading partner for Victor Olofsson. Savoie may see a few games in the NHL, but he’s only there so he could take advantage of the loophole to gain a few more games of AHL experience.
(Statistics provided by Elite Prospects)