Matt Savoie is going to be one of the most interesting Buffalo Sabres prospects to watch in camp this year, given the possibility he cracks the lineup.
Buffalo Sabres prospect Matt Savoie will have his work cut out for him this September as he tries to earn a spot on the Buffalo Sabres roster. In the wake of Jack Quinn’s injury, it’s entirely possible that we see Savoie suiting up for the Sabres and perhaps even getting a chance on the Top 6.
But there are other prospects he must beat out, and they all seem to be more NHL ready than he is. This includes players like:
- Lukas Rousek
- Jiri Kulich
- Brandon Biro
- Linus Weissbach
- Brett Murray
But even if one of the above snagged a spot on the opening day roster, the Sabres could still sneak in Savoie if they decide to keep 14 forwards. The likeliest candidates on the above list are Rousek and Biro, the latter of whom has no waiver exemption, along with Murray.
Buffalo Sabres add Matt Savoie to active roster in a….trial….yet he excels
There is no way Matt Savoie is suiting up for the Sabres later in the season, so you can expect to see him playing in the AHL, IIHF, and ultimately, Wenatchee. In this bold scenario, however, Savoie earns a spot on the Sabres final roster and sticks around just long enough to be AHL eligible for a handful of games.
However, Savoie will get into a few games at the NHL level, which will at least get his debut out of the way. Last season, we saw a pair of awesome NHL debuts with Devon Levi and Lukas Rousek, and Matt Savoie follows suit here, scoring a goal and an assist in his first outing and two goals and two assists in four NHL games (he will sit out the others) before heading to the AHL, IIHF, and finally, back to the WHL, where he will reunite with Zach Benson.
Fans could be calling for the Buffalo Sabres to keep Savoie on the primary roster should he enjoy a few good games at the NHL level. But the Blue and Gold are in a better position to let him get a small taste of the NHL early in the season before letting him further develop his game.