Savoie welcomes new role with McDavid on Oilers' top line

The chance to be on the ice with one of the best offensive players in the NHL is a big responsibility, and Matt Savoie is making the most of the opportunity. 

“It’s just a lot of excitement from my side, obviously,” Savoie said. “A chance to play with the best player in the world and contribute at that level every night.”

That player is Edmonton Oilers teammate Connor McDavid, who is second in the NHL this season with 118 points (40 goals, 78 assists), two behind Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov (120 points; 40 goals, 80 assists). 

Savoie, a 22-year-old rookie, has three points (two goals, one assist) in five games riding shotgun with McDavid and Zach Hyman on the No. 1 line heading into their Pacific Division showdown at the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday (9:30 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN1, TVAS). 

The Oilers (35-28-9) have a one-point lead over the Golden Knights (32-16-14) for second in the division. 

Savoie drew the assignment after Leon Draisaitl sustained a lower-body injury in a 3-1 win against the Nashville Predators on March 15. He is expected to be out for the rest of the regular season.  

“When you’re playing with Connor, I think you just have to be aware of where he is on the ice and not force pucks to him, but try to get the pucks to him in good spots and be available for him,” Savoie said. “I think he’s a player that’s able to make good plays and little passes that very few in the League can do, so you have to be ready. You have to be on your toes and in scoring position at all times.”

It did not take long for Savoie to find chemistry with McDavid once coach Kris Knoblauch shuffled the deck in Draisaitl’s absence.

He was elevated at the start of the second period of the game against Nashville and scored at 2:32, finishing off a pass from McDavid on a 2-on-1. 

Savoie has been with McDavid since and is also getting time on the first power-play unit to go along with his usual penalty-killing duties. He scored a short-handed goal in a 5-2 win at the Utah Mammoth on Tuesday. 

“He’s playing well. He’s doing a lot of really good things,” said McDavid, the Oilers captain. “That was a huge goal on the kill there. He plays with a lot of energy, he’s got a great motor on him, he keeps pucks alive, and that’s all you can ask for.”

Savoie was acquired by Edmonton in a trade with the Buffalo Sabres for forward Ryan McLeod and forward prospect Tyler Tullio on July 5, 2024. He was selected by Buffalo with the No. 9 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft and spent most of last season with Bakersfield of the American Hockey League, playing four games with Edmonton, before becoming an NHL regular this season. 

Savoie has 29 points (12 goals, 17 assists) and has played all 72 games. He has seemingly found an extra step following the break for the 2026 Winter Olympics in February. 

“I feel like the reset was huge, just to get some time away from the rink and time off the ice, and just kind of reset my body and kind of get back to 100 percent,” Savoie said. “I feel like everyone is dealing with some nagging injuries that when you get two weeks off in the middle of a season, it can really reset and boost guys, and it did a lot of good for me.”

Savoie took most of the Olympic break off before playing one game with Bakersfield for tune-up purposes. 

“I think at the Olympic break I was at 58 games and that’s almost the number of games I played all of last year (70 combined in the AHL and NHL),” Savoie said. “Here, the schedule is a lot more condensed in how many games you’re playing, along with the travel and how many days you have in between games. 

“You have to make the adjustment as best as possible, and that’s keeping your body right and getting as much rest as you can, and I think I’ve done a good job of that as the season’s gone on.”

Knoblauch has noticed the progression in Savoie's game and said he’s confident in putting him out with star players like McDavid and Draisaitl. 

“I think it’s always been in him, but just the confidence of having the puck and making those plays has been the biggest area (where) he’s grown this year,” Knoblauch said. “Now playing with a guy like Connor and when he was with Leon, just knowing how to find open space and not just get stagnant and check yourself. He’s been fast and darting into spots, and it looks like him and Connor are playing really well together.”

Without Draisaitl, the Oilers had to make an adjustment on the power play, with Savoie and Jack Roslovic sharing minutes on the top unit. Edmonton has the best power play in the NHL this season, converting at 31.0 percent, and the No. 1 unit usually stays out for the majority of the man-advantage. 

That top unit, normally consisting of McDavid, Draisaitl, Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and defenseman Evan Bouchard, has been a staple in recent seasons, limiting power-play time for other players.  

“For sure, it’s an exciting opportunity,” Savoie said. “That power play has been the best in the League for the last three years and there’s not really much opportunity to get to play with those guys, and rightfully so. So when you get it you have to be sharp, and I’m looking forward to being on it.”

Though the Oilers would rather have Draisaitl in the lineup as they try to secure a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the experience Savoie and others are getting by being elevated into offensive roles could prove beneficial down the stretch and into the postseason. 

“For sure, it’s a great opportunity for our group,” Savoie said. “Obviously you never want to play without a guy like that, that brings so much to your lineup on and off the ice. But I think every guy in here is ready to step up and give a little bit more.”