This in, news that the Edmonton Oilers have recalled winger Matt Savoie from Bakersfield of the American Hockey League.
Savoie played one game in Bakersfield and got one assist. He was sent down for salary cap reasons, as the Oilers scratch for every cap dollar they can find with the trade deadline approaching.
My take
1. Matt Savoie has been OK-ish at even strength this year as a winger, hanging on on defence and now and again flashing the kind of offensive skill and smarts that could well keep him in the NHL. But Savoie has shined in one aspect of the game, the penalty kill.
2. Savoie has the lowest rate of any Oilers forward when it comes to making mistakes on the PK that lead to Grade A shots against.
In 90 minutes of penalty kill time on ice, Savoie has made just 12 mistakes leading to Grade A shots against, the lowest rate of anyone on the team, just 0.27 mistakes on Grade A shots per two minutes of PK time.
Compare that to veteran Mattias Janmark who has made 25 such mistakes in just 64 PK minutes, a rate of 0.78 per two minutes.
2025-26 PK
3. The Oilers PK has been wretched in the New Year of 2026, in no small part because PK ace Adam Henrique has been injured. Wtih Henrique, Savoie and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins up front, the Oilers have the makings of a decent PK unit.
4. It’s also worth noting that Connor McDavid has created as many short-handed Grade A shots for, 13, as he’s made mistakes on penalty kill Grade A shots against. I can see why coach Kris Knoblauch likes to get out McDavid in that situation.
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