New trade pickup Matthew Savoie cheered for Oilers during playoffs
Getting traded to the Edmonton Oilers was a dream come true for top prospect Matthew Savoie.
The St. Albert native was traded to his hometown Oilers last week in a deal with the Buffalo Sabres that saw Ryan McLeod and prospect Ty Tullio head the other way. In his first media availability with Edmonton media at Rogers Place this morning, Savoie shared that he has been a fan of the team his entire life and has a long history with the Oilers.
“Just excitement, being an Edmonton guy, growing up around here, coming to games as a kid,” Savoie told reporters. “Initial thought when I heard the news was just [being] really excited.”
"It’s every young player's dream to come into an opportunity like this."
Matt Savoie meets with the media for the first time at @RogersPlace since being traded to the #Oilers from Buffalo.@Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/5sRpHXPnn0
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) July 8, 2024
Despite being a member of the Buffalo Sabres organization all of last season, Savoie did admit that he was keeping a close eye on the Oilers playoff run. Still, he was keeping his excitement on the down-low until now.
The fact that his Moose Jaw Warriors went to the Memorial Cup this past season prevented him from being in Edmonton for most of the playoff games, but he still found ways to watch them in the Final.
“I didn’t get back from the Memorial Cup right until the [Stanley Cup] Finals, so [I] just hung out with some friends to watch the game and, you know, kind of cheered for the Oilers in secret, but now I can openly be with them,” laughed Savoie. “It was awesome to watch the run they went on and the success they had in the playoffs.”
Growing up an Oilers fan, Savoie did admit to having quite a bit of team gear from his youth. He didn’t reveal a lot of what he had, but he did say that he has at least one jersey of a current Oilers teammate at home.
“I definitely have a [Ryan] Nugent-Hopkins sweater, I think,” Savoie said with a smile. “I definitely have a couple of jerseys, my dad’s got a bunch of jerseys. We were an Oilers household growing up.”
The 20-year-old sniper is coming off a monster year with the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors. Savoie put up 19 goals and 47 points in just 23 regular season games and added 24 more points in 19 playoff games.
There won’t be a guaranteed NHL spot on the Oilers for Savoie heading into training camp this September, but that is something he will gladly take on as a challenge.
“I’m looking forward to camp; I’m really looking forward to having a big summer here and coming in really good shape,” Savoie explained. “I think I’m capable of playing at that [NHL] level right now, but you want to do what’s best for your development as well and play lots.
“Wherever I’m playing, I’m going to be working really hard and just trying to get better.”
With a childhood fandom helping to inspire him, it’s safe to say that Oilers fans can expect a very inspired Savoie when he hits the ice in blue and orange silks for the first time in just a few months.