This in from the Edmonton Oilers, news that they have sent rookie froward Matthew Savoie back to Bakersfield of the American Hockey League.
My take
1. Matthew Savoie got his second cup of coffee in the NHL. There’s some talk on-line that this is a paper transaction to free up a roster spot at the trade deadline. I’ve yet to confirm that. In his interview today Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch mentioned both newcomers Trent Frederic and Max Jones adding to the team, so it could be the Oilers will now take a look at Jones (Frederic is out injured for the next two or three weeks).
I see fans complaining that Savoie never got a shot, but he played 33 of his 49 five-on-five minutes with Leon Draisaitl. He got a short but significant audition on the second line.
2. Savoie is Edmonton top prospect and he’s a home town boy, a player many have followed here for years, even as he’s just 21-years-old. It all adds up to high expectations and no small amount of pressure, but I’ll suggest in his four game stint here he acquitted himself well, not enough to lock down a spot in the line-up, but enough to make me think he’ll do so next September
3. On the plus side, Savoie ripped some NHL quality passes under pressure right on the tape. He skated fast and forechecked with ill will, sometimes surprising much bigger players by forcefully taking the puck off them in o-zone corners. It appears he’s got the skills and intensity to play in the NH. He also showed that he knows his way around the defensive zones, most often winning his battles and covering his man.
4. On the down side, he wasn’t able to finish off scoring plays, even as he had a few chances. And he’s got to commit to backchecking every single time as if his NHL career depended upon it is, because it, in fact, does. If he can ramp up his defensive consistency and find a way to bury his chances, he’ll stick next time and he’ll stick as a roster regular somewhere in the Top 9, maybe even on Leon Draisaitl or Connor McDavid’s wing.
5. This from Tony Brar, with news the Oilers are shutting down Mattias Ekholm for a bit to give him some rest and time to recovery from illness.
EDM lines and pairings – Wednesday’s practice:
• Ekholm & Klingberg are not on the ice.
RNH – McDavid – Hyman
Podkolzin – Draisaitl – Arvidsson
Janmark – Henrique – Brown
Skinner – Kapanen – Perry
Nurse – Bouchard
Kulak – Emberson
Stecher
Skinner
Pickard
P.S.
At the Cult of Hockey
STAPLES: Big name goalie from Anaheim is NOT the answer for Oilers, says goalie expert
McCURDY: Player grades against Anaheim
Staples on politics
There’s one excellent went to fight Trump’s USA, but are Canadians up for it?
