Since the Olympic break, Connor McDavid has produced at an excellent rate of 3.19 points per hour at five-on-five, which is no surprise for him. But in that same stretch, the Oilers have a second forward sitting just behind at a rate of 3.17, and it’s not Leon Draisaitl, who has been out to injury for about two weeks now. 

The forward I’m talking about is Matt Savoie.

The St. Albert, Alta. native was drafted ninth overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. Roughly two years later, the Edmonton Oilers would acquire him in a trade for forwards Ryan McLeod and Tyler Tullio in July 2024. 

For essentially the entirety of the McDavid and Draisaitl era, the Oilers have immensely struggled to surround their two superstars with young talent in the long term. From 2016 and 2017 first‑round picks Jesse Puljujarvi and Kailer Yamamoto failing to develop into bona fide top‑six wingers, to 2019 and 2020 first‑rounders Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg leaving after signing offer sheets, it has been a persistent issue for Edmonton to draft, develop, and retain its younger assets. The only real exception to this has been Evan Bouchard on the backend, while the lone supporting forwards who have remained with the team since 2021 – Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman – are in their mid-30s.

However, recent months suggest that they may truly have something here with 22-year-old Matt Savoie.

Initially, Savoie had a rough start to 2025-26, his first full NHL season. He recorded just a single point through his first 11 games, and by the end of November, no Oiler forward was on ice for more (even-strength) scoring chances against per 60 minutes than Savoie. There were certainly flashes of talent, but the underlying results at both ends of the ice were, frankly, quite dreadful.

However, it would be an........

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