According to Allan Mitchell of The Athletic, this year’s NHL trade deadline might come with some pain for the Edmonton Oilers. He writes, in a recent column, that, for the team to do what it needs to, moving on from forward Matt Savoie might be one of their few options.
Mitchell writes, “Bowman will have to make a trade to shore up at least one area of the roster, and the team doesn’t have a large number of attractive assets.” He then adds, “Savoie is one of them.”
He goes on to explain that GM Stan Bowman understands what value Savoie brings, but this isn’t a player Bowman acquired. This was a trade made before he came in and started putting his stamp on the franchise. As such, the loyalty to keeping him isn’t as high. If a sacrifice has to be made, it could be Savoie.
Mitchell explains:
“He was acquired before Bowman came on as GM. Both (ike) Howard and (Quinn) Hutson were procured by Bowman, and NHL history suggests that the difference can mean a lot when it comes to making a decision on who goes and who stays.”
Will Savoie’s Recent Play Keep Him in Edmonton?
There is one thing that could keep Savoie in Edmonton, and that’s his play this season. Having firmly established himself as an NHLer, he’s got 10 goals and 13 assists for 23 points. He’s been the organization’s best rookie since Nail Yakupov.
Matt Savoie Edmonton Oilers
Mitchell writes that the Oilers may want to avoid making the same kind of mistake they made by trading away Ryan McLeod too soon. “On a team whose management fades youth over experience and where the coach rations rookie minutes, Savoie has arrived as a trusted player for the coaching staff.” In other words, Savoie has become one of the few depth players under head coach Kris Knoblauch who gets steady minutes when most other wingers are seeing their minutes cut back.
Next: Insider Weighs In on Jordan Binnington–Oilers Buzz
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