Matt Savoie made his presence known as the Buffalo Sabres opened their 2023 Prospects Challenge vs. the Montreal Canadiens.
The last time Matt Savoie took the ice, he gave us a pair of underwhelming performances at the AHL level following a playoff tear in the Western Hockey League. He had a noticeable disadvantage in strength, and overall, he experienced the classic “Welcome to the AHL” moment. Tonight, the Buffalo Sabres top pick from 2022 faced plenty of Canadiens prospects who will see time in the AHL with the Laval Rocket, and Savoie didn’t back down.
If you watched the 19-year-old play tonight, it took him a few shifts to get into his groove with Wenatchee Wild teammate Zach Benson. But it wasn’t long before the pair put on quite a show for the fans at the LECOM Harborcenter. And it’s just fitting that you can use the adjective Wild to describe Savoie’s two goals on the night. Check out the first one below.
Matt Savoie shows his athleticism, then scores to take the lead 3-2 #LetsGoBuffalo #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/0RMYSmIlzF
— Buffalo Hockey Moments (@SabresPlays) September 16, 2023
Matt Savoie shows off plenty of athleticism in Buffalo Sabres opener
Oftentimes, I like to describe and break down how the goal was scored, but in Savoie’s case, it’s not possible. I reviewed the play about a dozen times at the absolute least, and it’s one of those goals where you just need to let the video speak for itself.
But Savoie wasn’t done, as he scored on another wild sequence later in the contest. Once again, this one needs no explanation, as it was simply another heads-up play from one of the Sabres top prospects.
Matt Savoie scores a dandy, 5-3 #letsgobuffalo #gohabsgo pic.twitter.com/avkOCVg6D8
— Buffalo Hockey Moments (@SabresPlays) September 16, 2023
Overall, Savoie put on the type of performance you would expect from a former Top 10 pick heading into their second Prospects Challenge. Following a full offseason, it was inevitable that Savoie was heading into the year with more athleticism and on-ice awareness to go with an improved game.
If he gives us a pair of duplicate outings for the final two matchups this weekend, then he will stick around camp for a while. This isn’t to say Savoie will be a serious contender to snag a spot in the Buffalo Sabres lineup, but it does show us he’s taking a significant step forward.