St. Albert local and top hockey prospect Matthew Savoie joined the Edmonton Oilers for practice on Feb. 18, and is expected to travel with the team and make his debut with the club during their upcoming road trip after spending the first half of the season with the farm team in Bakersfield, Calif.
Matthew Savoie joined the team on July 5, 2024, when he was acquired via trade from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Oilers forward Ryan McLeod.
Since getting a brief look with the club at rookie camp and the Young Stars Classic in Penticton in September 2024, Savoie has spent most of the 2024-25 season in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Bakersfield Condors. During that time, he recorded 37 points in 45 games.
"Things have been going really well. Little bit of a slow start, adjusting to pro hockey. But I've been playing really well the last couple of weeks," Savoie said to reporters during a media availability on Feb. 18. "I'm feeling really confident, and feeling really good about my game."
After joining their practice on Wednesday, Savoie is expected to accompany the Oilers on their five game road trip, beginning in Philadelphia on Feb. 22.
Head coach Kris Knoblauch had glowing things to say about Savoie during his media availability.
"I think he's earned it. I think he's been playing very well in Bakersfield," Knoblauch said. “If he was down there and was playing poorly and wasn't one of the better players every single night, we wouldn’t be pulling him up here.”
He said that Savoie would likely play at some point during the road trip.
"For me it's really exciting, just to see where I can potentially play and where I could be," Savoie said.
