Oilers add one of best prospects in hockey for cap dump trade

PUBLICATION

Liam McCormick
July 5, 2024 (4:27 PM)

SHARE THIS STORY

Today, the Edmonton Oilers acquired one of the best prospects in hockey in a trade to send out Ryan McLeod as a salary cap dump. Jeff Jackson made a brilliant trade, and now here's everything you need to know about the newest Oiler, Matthew Savoie.

Savoie was drafted 9th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in 2022, and has shown elite offensive talent at junior and a brief stint in AHL. He's a smaller player at 5'9 and 180 pounds, and may need to fill out more to have success at the NHL level. He's still signed on an entry level contract for the next three years at just $866K, which would be a bargain of a deal if he can break the roster.

Savoie returned to the WHL as an overages this year and led his Moose Jaw Warriors to a championship with an impressive offensive season and playoffs. He scored 19 goals and 47 points in just 23 games in the regular season, and another 24 points in 13 playoff games.

Savoie has a much higher offensive ceiling than Ryan McLeod, and will be cheaper and controllable for much longer. There's even the possibility that Savoie can make the NHL this year, and potentially be better than McLeod right away. McLeod had a successful season himself scoring 12 goals and 30 points, but his game didn't translate to the playoffs. The Oilers needed to clear cap room, and free up nearly a million with this trade by selling high on McLeod.

Savoie is an Edmonton-born kid too, and grew up a big fan of the Oilers. In an interview a few years ago, Savoie revealed he had been skating with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and looks to model his game after Nuge who's developed an elite 200 foot game. The Oilers also had his brother Carter Savoie, who was unqualified as an RFA but could still return to the Oilers.

By all accounts, the Oilers are getting an incredible prospect for a player that needed to be moved off the roster anyway. It's an incredible move from Jeff Jackson, and hockey fans everywhere are stunned the Oilers pulled it off.

We'll see how long it will take Savoie to crack the NHL roster, but if the scouting reports are correct, the Oilers got a budding NHL star for next to nothing. Hopefully he reaches his potential with his hometown Oilers, and becomes the next superstar here.