MATTHEW SAVOIE

2025-08-19

Scout: Brandon

Skating:

Savoie capitalizes on takeaways and turnovers with acceleration that can push back defenders.

While he may not have the top end speed to blaze by everyone, he has enough turbo to respect and plenty in the tank that defenders may regret if he got a step on them.

Savoie relies on gliding in a ready stance to flow between open spots on the ice when away from the play.

While controlling the puck, he ensures that his feet stay moving and his projected position is ever changing.

Has exceptional control of the subtle use of his edges and tempered interaction with the ice to find traction at a moments notice.

Passing/Handling:

Savoie possesses a high degree of puck feel and is very comfortable with the puck on any point of his blade.

An economical puck carrier, Savoie can confidently hold onto the puck until there is an option to move it to an open or active teammate.

He actively seeks different passing options and uses his body language as a deceptive pre-pass tool by squaring his hips and shoulders in a direction counter to where the puck may travel.

Savoie confidently approaches board play from a flowing, spatial puck control perspective as opposed to using his body as a stationary shield.

During a late season viewing, Savoie showed more aggression and drive when carrying the puck during a zone entry as compared to previous outings. He demonstrated a willingness to attempt to gain access to the slot instead of looking to dish the puck away from the high danger areas.

Savoie shows confidence in attempts to make difficult passes through traffic and across ice to a teammate away from direct pressure.

Shooting:

Savoie’s shot is not his main threat nor one brandished most often, but also not something that opposition should give carte blanche to.

He will use shots taken in stride to try and either surprise the goaltender or to create a rebound.

Savoie spends little time choosing to shoot, especially off one-touch opportunities below the circles.

He possesses a high velocity, swooping wrist shot that would serve will if utilized more often.

IQ (Vision, Anticipation, Panic/Poise):

Savoie’s vision both with and without the puck allows him to play more of an opportunistic role as opposed to being a primary play driver.

His smaller stature suits his ability to dart into spaces at the last second to be where he reads the play is unfolding.

Savoie’s offensive instincts serve him well on the other side of puck possession as he is able to execute takeaways in the middle of oppositional playmaking.

Forechecking:

Savoie will opportunistically take the role of F1 on the forecheck, though that assignment seems to default to the C in the majority of the cases.

He usually plays the role of the late or wide supportive spatial option and will likely not opt to pressure beyond the hashmarks with much aggression.

Savoie possesses a dangerous and active stick near the opponent blueline during attempts to carry the puck out during a zone exit.

Defense:

Savoie pressures the point with an active stick and plays the odds of a spatial game where he doesn’t over commit to the puck carrier.

He will step in front of point shots and has created offensive opportunities using his speed in picking up a pick that bounces off his shins.

Savoie is an incredibly sly pick pocket and play disrupter around his own blueline as a point of back pressure when the puck carrier is forced to slow down when facing defensive obstacles.

His main role defensively seems to be passing lane overwatch and breakout puck support around the middle depth of his own zone, though he has used his acceleration to efficiently cover for blown D coverage.

Best Asset:

Flowing, opportunistic creativity and capitalization.

Biggest Concern:

Persistent lack of being the primary driving force.

Top Tier/Role Potential:

Top 6, 70ish points. Moderate BaSH.

Justification for Top Tier Assessment:

His raw skills and instincts could point to first line potential with the right line chemistry and composition, but a safer ceiling would be a support role in the top 6.

50th Percentile Tier/Role:

Middle 6, 30ish points.

Justification for 50th Percentile Tier Assessment:

If gains are made in terms of mass and strength, he could serve as an multi-situational option lower in the lineup. There is a chance that the rigors of the NHL prove to be too great of an obstacle to overcome.

Stylistic Comparable:

Micro Joe Thornton with skating and style closer to Jeff Skinner.

Games Scouted:

2024-10-05

Bakersfield Condors (5) @ San Jose Barracuda (3)

2025-01-03

Bakersfield Condors (5) vs Henderson Silver Knights (4)

2025-03-07

Bakersfield Condors (4) vs Tucson Roadrunners (5)

---

2025-03-18

Scout: Grant Campbell

Skating:

Savoie is a very good skater, who is strong on his skates and has very good balance in contact. Not a fluid skater by any means, but he can get in on the forecheck very quickly and has good first few strides. He has a good low center of gravity. I don't think it is NHL separation speed at this point.

Passing/Handling:

He has very good hands in tight and has above average passing and stickhandling. He can try to force passes at times in the offensive zone. He's not going to dangle an NHL team but he can certainly handle the puck better than most bottom-six forwards in the NHL.

Shooting:

He possesses a quick, accurate wrist/snap shot and gets into good shooting lanes. Most of his goals are below the left faceoff circle.

IQ (Vision, Anticipation, Panic/Poise):

Savoie has above average vision and anticipation which serve him well all over the ice when with or without the puck. He can find open teammates or get open to receive passes quite well.

Forechecking:

He gets in quickly on the forecheck and is strong on his feet, which is to his advantage in board battles for the puck. He needs to keep his motor going every shift, or his forechecking becomes pretty ineffective. When on, he plays much bigger than he is.

Defense:

At the AHL level he seems to be switched from the wing to center on the regular, so he can lose his defensive shape at times and/or make wrong reads. He can be the last player back on defense at times, which could indicate that he gets caught too deep sometimes, especially if he's playing center.

Best Asset:

His IQ, skating and handling of the puck are his strengths. He has some NHL skills right now.

Biggest Concern:

Are his strengths at a high enough level, to get him into an NHL top-six and produce there? At this point in his development, he's not going to drive the first or second line in the NHL, so he will need to rely on his linemates for success when he gets his chance on an extended basis.

Top Tier/Role Potential:

A top-six forward who is a regular on the first unit of the powerplay. Perhaps a 25-30 goal and assist player with 50-75 hits a year.

Justification for Top Tier Assessment:

He's produced at every level he's played at, including the AHL as a rookie. He has the skill to produce in the NHL.

50th Percentile Tier/Role:

An energy forward who moves up and down the lineup on an NHL team between the 2nd, 3rd and 4th lines, with spot duty on the power play.

Justification for 50th Percentile Tier Assessment:

I'm not sure about his ability to separate himself from the opposition in the NHL, the way he has been able to at each level so far. As a smaller player, I'm not sure he has the elite skills of a Cole Caufield or an Alex Debrincat.

Stylistic Comparable:

Kailer Yamamoto

Scouts Final Thoughts and Additional Stats/Info:

As mentioned, I think he is a step down from Caufield and Debrincat and he reminds me of Kailer Yamamoto who scored 20 goals and 20 assists in 2021-22. That might be his window of production in the NHL.

Games Scouted:

02/22/25 NHL vs Philadelphia; 03/04/25 NHL vs Anaheim; 03/08/25 AHL vs Tucson

---

2024-04-19

Scout: Joshua Rosa

Skating:

While not an out-and-out speedster, Savoie is a fast skater who regularly uses his breakaway speed to create distance between himself and defenders, and take advantage of fast breaks.

Passing/Handling:

Offensive skills are Matt Savoie’s bread and butter. His skills really shine on the powerplay with plenty of time and space. He has a killer combination of skill and IQ/creativity, that it can be difficult to tell what he’s going to do next. He can beat defenders with slick stickhandling, or can make small adjustments to get the perfect shot or pass off around defenders.

Shooting:

There was one goal where I had to rewind a couple of times to see where and how exactly the shot went in. Savoie can get a heavy, accurate shot off really quickly. Its definitely second to his stickhandling, but is a big enough threat to keep defenders and goalies true on the shot.

IQ (Vision, Anticipation, Panic/Poise):

Savoie has a brain for offense and excels in all facets. He seems to live for the puck on his stick, and pretty much always makes a good decision with the puck. Sometimes he can force passes, but generally he has the skill to pull off some beautiful and surprising passes and plays. He is especially dangerous on the fast break, whether that's alone and depending on his handles and shot, or with a teammate, giving him even more options.

Forechecking:

While not a standout forechecker, Savoie can use his speed and low centre of gravity to be a quite annoying presence to opposing defenders.

Defense:

Savoie did get penalty kill time this year, and didn’t look out of place. He has an active stick in the defensive zone, but sometimes his lack of size (5’10” 179 lbs) got him into trouble.

Best Asset:

Savoie’s offensive IQ and skill in pretty much all facets of the offensive game are top tier.

Biggest Concern:

Size and defense. Savoie will never be a Selkie nominee, and big defenders might cause some trouble when there is less time to work.

Top Tier/Role Potential:

Tier 1 - PPG+ player, elite offensive talent.

Justification for Top Tier Assessment:

Savoie has all the potential skills to be an elite, first line player if everything falls well. He can skate, he can score, he can pass, he isn't a liability in his own zone.

50th Percentile Tier/Role:

Tier 2 - 70-80 point scorer with below average (-1 to 0 SD) BASH or 60-70 point scorer with above average/elite (0-1 above SD) BASH

Justification for 50th Percentile Tier Assessment:

Savoie will at least be a powerplay specialist and middle six forward. The biggest problem fantasy-wise is that if Savoie isn’t producing points, he likely won’t be producing much else.

Stylistic Comparable:

At his best, Savoie can become a Brayden Point type player. A great, versatile forward that constantly threatens 100 points.

Scouts Final Thoughts and Additional Stats/Info:

It would be shocking if Matthew Savoie isn't a full time NHL player soon, and not having a positive offensive impact. Especially if he is paired with another great young offensive talent who tilts the ice and drives play like no one else *ahem* Zach Benson *ahem*. The future is bright in Buffalo, and Savoie is a big part of that.

Games Scouted:

Savoie v. Regina, Savoie v. Brandon, Savoie v. Saskatoon

---

2023-10-10

Scout: Brandon

Skating:

More of a North/South skater that can laterally change lanes effectively.

Lacks speed and power in his stride.

Doesn’t utilize a high degree of motor but will redline when on the rush, especially if it is an odd man rush with a higher degree of a scoring chance.

Awkward edgework at times with little subtlety to his skating for, especially for a smaller player.

Puck handling:

Heads up and not flashy.

May over handle the puck at times, slowing down the flow of the play up the ice. This may be a vision/IQ issue.

Can effectively break up plays and disrupt the puck carrier with his stickwork.

Has the potential to make incredible passes but is quite inconsistent in pass effort.

25/57 (43.8%) on face-off on games viewed.

Shot:

High volume and opportunistic shooter.

Will take shots on goal, even if it is only to create chaos and rebounds.

Explosive one-timer.

Crisp snap shot.

IQ (vision, offensive and defensive anticipation, panic meter):

Weighted to anticipate offensive breaks, even while on the defense.

Can make high level plays under pressure.

I do wonder if the “over handling” of the puck is a processing speed issue where he is not seeing the ice well or if it is more of a paralysis by analysis sort of deal.

Defense:

Often the last man back on D-zone coverage.

Can be disruptive and dangerous on the PK, especially with his opportunistic leanings.

Best Asset:

His shot is his main weapon by a wide margin.

Biggest Concern:

Skating in all areas is about average for the WHL. Could use power development and refinement of edgework that could unlock more fluidity in his upper body.

Top Tier Potential:

Complementary volume shooter, 30-40-70, with special teams deployment. Not sure if his size and skating would make him a good NHL center.

Most Likely Tier:

15-20-35, middle six forward with low peripherals besides shots. Potential for him to get caught in limbo between the AHL and NHL if his game remains raw.

Stylistic Comparable:

Similar opportunistic nose for the net but a much less gritty and greasy Zach Hyman with shades of Tyler Ennis and Patty Kane, especially in regards to the rigid upper body posture of the latter.

Games Scouted:

Date: 2022-10-15

League: WHL

Team: Winnipeg

Opponent: Prince George

Score: 4-1 Winnipeg

Notable Stats: 1 G, 1 A, 4 SOG, 0 HIT, 0 BLK, 18:24 TOI

Date: 2023-01-08

League: WHL

Team: Winnipeg

Opponent: Portland

Score: 6-3 Winnipeg

Notable Stats: 2 G, 2 A, 6 SOG, 1 HIT, 0 BLK, 16:21 TOI

Date: 2023-03-31

League: WHL

Team: Winnipeg

Opponent: Medicine Hat

Score: 5-3 Winnipeg

Notable Stats: 3 G, 1 A, 7 SOG, 1 HIT, 0 BLK, 19:58 TOI