In the draft video the scouts are seen talking about this pick and land on him because of his upside. Maybe the word project that the other poster used isn't spot on, but the idea that the other 2 guys are "safer " could ring true.
(Not an excuse for Savoie):
In the CHL a year makes a big difference. You're playing against kids that are ages 16-20, so when you're 18 turning 19, you're expected to dominate. Having a regression in points from one year to a next is a bit of a red flag. If you go and look the history of players that regressed in points from their DY to D+1 - the success rate is not great. Sam Reinhart did and he turned out mostly fine - however one could argue he hasn't exactly lived up to the number 2 overall pick.
I've caught a few Gophers games (Huglen/RyJo) and Snuggerud was particularly noticeable in those viewings. The puck just seemed to find him.
He was scoring at a higher per game rate over last season until he hit his current 4 game pointless streak. There are still plenty of games left in the season for him to break that streak and start producing again. Major shoulder surgery in the offseason is also something to keep in mind. Who knows if he has been 100% back to normal, sometimes those things can cause stiffness for months afterward and take up to a year to feel normal again.
And he was scoring less than last years pace until he had a 6 point night. He’s been pretty inconsistent. I’m not saying he’s a bust, just that his season isn’t one that you’d like to see if you’re expecting him to jump into the NHL next year
We don't have to rush him to the NHL next year. We will probably see him again in training camp, maybe even get his 9 games if he impresses Granato and then they decide what to do.
I get where you're coming from, but it's a small downtick in a small sample, after a 4 game pointless streak. Given the surgery as others have mentioned, shouldn't that be expected rather than a red flag?
That's not it, until recently Savoie has been predominantly a perimeter player. He's barely attacked the center of the ice, basically been tentative aka gun shy. He's playing more like his old self as if he's trusting his shoulder more
The surgery is a wildcard. It could have an impact, or it could be his healthy play. Not real easy to know
Your personal branding may have taken a lost opportunity cost hit, but we can’t discount how fun it’ll be to just randomly yell out matty savWAH when he does something cool on the ice.
