Edmonton Oilers need to kickstart Matt Savoie contract talks this summer
A storm could be brewing for the Edmonton Oilers as soon as next summer.
The big ticket item will be getting Connor McDavid signed to a new extension, but another threat is looming beneath that. With Matt Savoie set to become a restricted free agent next summer, it will open up the possibility of an offer sheet landing at the Oilers’ doorstep once again.
Savoie may not be the most important player on this team, but the 22-year-old showed a lot of promise in his first full NHL season. If he takes a step forward this upcoming season, he could cement himself as a very important part of Edmonton’s future.
It will also make him more expensive and susceptible to hostile offer sheets.
Edmonton is no stranger to the dangers of offer sheets, having lost Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg a few summers ago, and was reportedly threatened with another for Evan Bouchard from the Carolina Hurricanes last year.
We saw how much the Anaheim Ducks fumbled the Leo Carlsson fiasco by delaying contract talks, and Oilers GM Stan Bowman should be paying attention. It’s highly unlikely that Savoie will demand that type of money, but could a $9- or $10-million offer sheet really be out of the realm of possibility if he turns in a 30-goal, 60-point season?
Young goal scorers are going for a premium in the NHL nowadays, and Savoie certainly has the potential to hit new levels if he can stick on a line with either McDavid or Leon Draisaitl this season.
Locking down Savoie now does carry some risks, but it’s not entirely unprecedented. He’s a former ninth-overall pick and is coming off a good rookie season where it looked like he found his stride late in the year. Those types of players are typically locked down to long-term deals anyway.
A good barometer for Savoie might be Logan Stankoven, who inked an eight-year deal with a $6-million cap hit in the summer of 2025 after turning in a 14-goal, 38-point season split between the Hurricanes and Dallas Stars. That wouldn’t be an unreasonable number for either side right now.
With the Oilers being as old as they are, having someone like Savoie signed long-term should be a good bet to help the team stay competitive for longer.