C Matthew Savoie - Moose Jaw Warriors, WHL (2022, 9th, BUF) - PART 2

[Chainshot]

Another strong night, first multi-point game since coming back from being out with some upper body tweak, drops 5 points on Tri-City to push his WHL points/game back over 2 for this season.

 

[Chainshot]

He's continued to flirt with 2.0 pts/game (currently 2.03) since going back to the WHL. In Wenatchee, he was playing RW with Geekie and Isogai and clearly getting the most beneficial deployments. In Moose Jaw, he's running his own line at center with Atlee Calvert and either Pavel Mckenzie or Lynden Lakovic as his wingers, yet continues to chug along with production. Yes, it helps that Firkus is popping off on the other line with Yager and that he gets PP1 time with both of them, Mateychuk and Calvert, but he's impressed me with his ability to continue to generate dangerous opportunities by taking himself or the puck to the net with such regularity. It's also interesting to me at least that he's only been held off the scoresheet twice in 33 games in the WHL.

 

[Chainshot]

Managed to get to 30 goals in just 34 WHL games. He'll finish the year with over 2 points per game as well.

 

[Chainshot]

Fifth multi-point game of the playoffs, 9th straight game with at least a point.

 

[Gabrielor]

Ends the WHL playoffs with 24 points in 19 games, 10 goals, only 1 PPG, and at least one point in every game played but one.

 

[Reddawg]

Two players with championship pedigree headed for Rochester next season (along with Komarov).

 

[Just Linda]

3 years post draft and I still feel he was a reach at #9.

He was more productive but less effective than Calvert. Firkus, Yager, and Kovacevic all were far more noticeable than him throughout the games. I felt he was probably 6th best player on his team.

Size isn't an impossible barrier to overcome but I haven't seen enough from Savioe to make me think he's going to overcome his. He isn't a lock to be a top 6 forward and he can't play a bottom 6 style game.

I'd love to know what Buffalo plans on doing with him.

 

[majormajor]

3 years post draft and I still feel he was a reach at #9.

He was more productive but less effective than Calvert. Firkus, Yager, and Kovacevic all were far more noticeable than him throughout the games. I felt he was probably 6th best player on his team.

Size isn't an impossible barrier to overcome but I haven't seen enough from Savioe to make me think he's going to overcome his. He isn't a lock to be a top 6 forward and he can't play a bottom 6 style game.

I'd love to know what Buffalo plans on doing with him.

I think he's been somewhat disappointing and maybe it would be fair to say that his limited upside should have been more appreciated a couple years ago. Very flat trajectory for years before the draft. But that's not what a "reach" is, not when you're ranked 9th on Bob's final list and you get taken at 9th on draft day.

The Sabres are in an awkward spot with their prospect pool, having like twelve miniature forwards.

 

[wetcoast]

Two players with championship pedigree headed for Rochester next season (along with Komarov).

Savoie is going to blow up the AHL next year and it will be hard to keep him down.

 

[CowbellConray]

3 years post draft and I still feel he was a reach at #9.

He was more productive but less effective than Calvert. Firkus, Yager, and Kovacevic all were far more noticeable than him throughout the games. I felt he was probably 6th best player on his team.

Size isn't an impossible barrier to overcome but I haven't seen enough from Savioe to make me think he's going to overcome his. He isn't a lock to be a top 6 forward and he can't play a bottom 6 style game.

I'd love to know what Buffalo plans on doing with him.

What makes you think he can’t be a solid 3rd line center if needed? Speed, attention to detail, tenacious enough. I think he is a safe bet for a 3rd line player with 2nd line upside

 

[Just Linda]

What makes you think he can’t be a solid 3rd line center if needed? Speed, attention to detail, tenacious enough. I think he is a safe bet for a 3rd line player with 2nd line upside

I feel 3rd line centre would be playing away from his strengths. He's the type of guy who thrives in open ice but isn't the type to create it by himself.

Ideally he'd grow into a secondary scoring threat but I'm pretty old school, I want my third line to be one that you can role out in defensive zone faceoffs and that's not something I'd want to see Savoie put into. He can win board battles in the WHL but not in a way that's projectable at the NHL.

I believe that in order for an undersized player to make it at the next level, they have to be elusive. They have to be able to have some sneak in them. He's a quick player but he's not really slippery.

I think the biggest part is just projectable aspects of his game. He projects well offensively but I can't see him being able to control the centre of the ice. His cycle game isn't bottom 6 strong either, he really struggles with chip and chase hockey.

For me, he either develops as a second liner or he has to really transform his play.

 

[Faceboner]

I feel 3rd line centre would be playing away from his strengths. He's the type of guy who thrives in open ice but isn't the type to create it by himself.

Ideally he'd grow into a secondary scoring threat but I'm pretty old school, I want my third line to be one that you can role out in defensive zone faceoffs and that's not something I'd want to see Savoie put into. He can win board battles in the WHL but not in a way that's projectable at the NHL.

I believe that in order for an undersized player to make it at the next level, they have to be elusive. They have to be able to have some sneak in them. He's a quick player but he's not really slippery.

I think the biggest part is just projectable aspects of his game. He projects well offensively but I can't see him being able to control the centre of the ice. His cycle game isn't bottom 6 strong either, he really struggles with chip and chase hockey.

For me, he either develops as a second liner or he has to really transform his play.

He is a mini bull/wreaking ball in a playstyle sense very brazen and straightforward deliberate player

 

[monsieurthibz]

It's probably been talked about, but do any of you feel like the plan is to reunite Benson and Savoie on the same line (somewhere during the season I believe, if not right from the camp) ? Their chemistry was something special, but their line would definitely lack some physicality.

 

[Chainshot]

It's probably been talked about, but do any of you feel like the plan is to reunite Benson and Savoie on the same line (somewhere during the season I believe, if not right from the camp) ? Their chemistry was something special, but their line would definitely lack some physicality.

Not sure - figure Benson is going to continue to get important minutes up the lineup so if they do wind up on a line together either Savoie is overproducing to force his way into 2nd line NHL time or there is some sort of injury issue. The third option would be Benson struggling, but the kid works so hard all over the ice that I doubt he'll be in that situation.

 

[Chainshot]

I think he's been somewhat disappointing and maybe it would be fair to say that his limited upside should have been more appreciated a couple years ago. Very flat trajectory for years before the draft. But that's not what a "reach" is, not when you're ranked 9th on Bob's final list and you get taken at 9th on draft day.

Curious how not even playing in the WHL the year prior to his draft year makes it easy to estimate a flat trajectory for his development? His start in '22-23 was not what we wanted, but from late November on in his D+1, he took off. Some of that was the shoulder issue that he has had, but that's a concern because he is a small guy, contact is going to be a big problem and could break him.

Agreed on 9OA not being a reach. We also know that Buffalo was in love with Kasper that year from comments Kasper's father and some Sabre draft followers have made.

The Sabres are in an awkward spot with their prospect pool, having like twelve miniature forwards.

The size problem and glut of them is a compounding issue - they have too many of them and they don't have enough situations to use all of them. Hell, they stocked their farm team with a bunch of similarly sized guys too meaning even the vet types are sub 6'/182.5 cm guys. Neuchev should be getting his props and he's stuck behind a bunch of other 5'11" or shorter guys on the wing.

 

[Nikolajs Sillers]

I think he goes to Rochester, gets some call ups to Sabres.

 

[Gabrielor]

I agree that the Sabres drafted too many of the same forward archetype in the first 3 rounds from 2020-2022. They finally pivoted in 2023 a bit with Wahlberg. They also blocked a lot of those guys quickly with the big hits of 2020 in Quinn and Peterka.

I disagree on Savoie and 'limited upside'. He does everything in the game well. Shot, passing, skating, faceoffs, and he goes to the net, despite size. He also has elite acceleration.

The only thing I think would prevent his top 6 ascension is injuries.

 

[tunnelvision]

Best player from MJ against Saginaw imo. I think he'll be staying on the top line with Firkus and Yager for the rest of Mem cup, it seemed any other line combination wasn't really working for MJ.