Matt Savoie needed only one passing drill during his first practice in a Buffalo Sabres jersey to impress Rochester coach Seth Appert and remind onlookers, including management, why he was chosen ninth overall at the NHL Draft in July.
“Just electric,” Appert boasted Wednesday afternoon following the 90-minute workout.
Savoie’s remarkable skill set, from his high-end speed to a quick right-handed shot, tantalized on the ice alongside some of the Sabres’ top prospects, including 2021 first-round draft choice Isak Rosen. Appert and everyone else in the organization saw Savoie live or on video during the 18-year-old center’s time with the Winnipeg Ice of the Western Hockey League. But this was Savoie’s first on-ice workout in Buffalo since he became the Sabres’ top draft choice in July. He wasn't able to skate at development camp.
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Fans and coaches won’t have to wait long to see Savoie in action again, either. He’ll be on the ice Thursday night in LECOM Harborcenter when the Sabres open their three-game Prospects Challenge schedule against the Montreal Canadiens at 7 p.m.
Savoie is one of 17 first-round picks who could be on ice for the annual showcase, which expanded from four to six teams with Montreal and Ottawa joining Buffalo, Boston, Pittsburgh and New Jersey. The Sabres also play the Devils and Senators on Saturday and Monday, respectively.
Media from across Canada made the trek to Buffalo to watch Slovakian winger Juraj Slafkovsky, whom Montreal drafted first overall in July, but most of the fans sitting in the stands will be there to see another prominent player in a Sabres prospect pipeline that’s ripe with high-end talent.
“I think it’s a great opportunity,” Savoie said. “Whenever you get into a rookie tournament like this, it’s always exciting to see new players and to dress alongside some new teammates as well. This will be my first chance to really step on the ice and show the fans and management what I can do. I’m just excited for that opportunity.”
The Sabres don’t have all their top prospects participating in the event. There was no sense in risking an injury to Owen Power, Jack Quinn, JJ Peterka or Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. Players overseas, like 2022 first-round pick Noah Ostlund, are busy competing in their professional team’s training camp and exhibition games. Goalies Devon Levi and Erik Portillo are on campus at Northeastern and Michigan, respectively.
And the Sabres learned Wednesday morning that prospects Jiri Kulich and Filip Cederqvist, both of whom are expected to be in Rochester this season, are dealing with minor injuries that have them out “day to day,” Appert told reporters.
Aside from Savoie, there’s still high-end players to watch. Russian winger Aleksandr Kisakov, another player earmarked for the Amerks’ roster, made his first appearance in Buffalo since he was selected by the Sabres in the second of the 2021 draft. There’s also 2021 draft choices Rosen, Josh Bloom and Tyson Kozak, as well as Amerks forwards Linus Weissbach and Lukas Rousek. The club invited several talented players to fill out the roster, including Lake View native Declan McDonnell.
In addition to playing against top prospects from three different NHL teams, the group will also practice in front of the Sabres’ coaches and management. There’s a player at each Prospects Challenge who earns a longer stay in training camp and, eventually, games in Buffalo because of a strong showing at the event, like winger Brett Murray did last fall.
“We all believe in the direction we’re heading,” said Appert. “We all know we still have a lot of work to do, so it’s a great opportunity for our young players and our prospects to show what they’re made of. For our young guys, it’s an introduction into our organization and they get to make those statements in their play against some other world-class players, which is awesome. And for our returners, it’s an opportunity to make a statement that they’re going away from being a prospect and they’re ready to compete for NHL time.”
Savoie couldn’t participate in the on-ice portion of development camp in July because he was still recovering from a shoulder injury that didn’t require surgery. Instead of accepting an invitation from Team Canada this summer to participate in an evaluation camp for the IIHF World Junior Championship, Savoie trained in the gym and on the ice for the duration of his offseason. He wanted to ensure his shoulder was “100%,” which he says it’s been since early August.
The Sabres are expected to eventually send Savoie back to Winnipeg for another season of junior hockey, like the club did with Dylan Cozens following his first training camp in 2019. It’s challenging for a teenager to play an 82-game NHL season with travel, especially one like Savoie, who is listed at 5-foot-9, 170 pounds. There are benefits to developing away from the spotlight of the NHL. Savoie could take the time to build strength off the ice and improve other areas of his game. Last season in Winnipeg, Savoie totaled 35 goals and 90 points in 65 regular-season games. He'll be among the top players in the WHL if he returns this fall.
Savoie has other plans, though.
“I think my biggest goal is to definitely play some NHL games this year,” said Savoie. “It’s not easy to crack the roster at the start of the season, so I think just put my best foot forward. Always working hard, making sure I have attention to detail and just sticking with it this year.”
Savoie can play as many as nine NHL games without burning the first year of his entry-level contract, but the challenge is roster spots. Barring an injury, it’s difficult to see where Savoie fits because Quinn and Peterka are expected to make the team.
Savoiie will have an opportunity in the coming days to show he should get a longer stay in NHL training camp. He shined at practice while centering Kisakov and Weissbach, a preview of where he’ll play Thursday night. And, in some ways, Savoie is much further along than most 18-year-old prospects, including those chosen high in the draft.
“His pace of play is so high with and without the puck,” said Appert. “A lot of times guys of his age and his caliber offensively might not have the work level and the hunt of the puck he does. I just was incredibly impressed with how competitive he is on the puck, how smart he is. … He sees things that other players don’t see. I was incredibly impressed with him and told him I was excited to have him on the ice because I missed him in the summer.”
As practice concluded Wednesday, Savoie worked on faceoffs with Rochester assistant coach Michael Peca, a two-time Selke Trophy finalist during his 14-season NHL career. Savoie is trying to take advantage of every moment he has with Sabres coaches. And though he’s aware of the challenge ahead, he plans to be a standout performer during a weekend in which a number of future NHLers will be on the ice in LECOM Harborcenter.
“I think that’s all, really, what a young player can do – make the decision to send you home tough and make them not want to send you home,” said Savoie. “I want to play good enough to be able to stick around as long as I can and that’s really my focus coming up here.”
