Prospect Info: C/RW Matthew Savoie, 9th Overall, 2022 NHL Draft - Traded to Moose Jaw 1/4/24

[Tatanka]

He is ready for the pros sending him back has no benefit for him

He looks ready for the AHL . But he can’t play there so send him back to jr and let him try again next year.

 

[Ace]

Screw the WHL. He belongs in Rochester. Was one of their best players tonight…constantly engaged and making plays without the puck to extend zone time and create scoring chances. a point in each of this three games and he’s been better and better each night. Having to wait a year for a league he’s ready for is bad development and these leagues should care about that.

 

[dortt]

we're going to send back Benson to make room for him?

Benson earned his place on the Sabres ahead of Savoie.

Now, what we should do is waive VO

 

[Matt Ress]

we're going to send back Benson to make room for him?

Benson earned his place on the Sabres ahead of Savoie.

Now, what we should do is waive VO

I think Benson will really want to show some counting stats in the next 4 games to stick. We all know he does a lot of other things really well, including the coaching staff but generating offense is probably what they're looking for.

With that, I think leadership is just crazy enough to keep both if that's what the players force them to do. They don't seem to be a group that predetermines player paths, much to the dismay of some fans.

 

[Ace]

we're going to send back Benson to make room for him?

Benson earned his place on the Sabres ahead of Savoie.

Now, what we should do is waive VO

It wasn’t really a competition between the two. One of them couldn’t play. Savoie out performed him in rookie camp and the tournament games. By all accounts the Sabres thought Savoie was their best player at dev camp.

And…not for nothing…Comrie being out for a while opens a roster spot anyway.

as long as…you know…that Levi injury that hasn’t had a setback that saw him go from playing to not playing to not practicing doesn’t…not have another setback. Cooley will go down when Levi is done not having setbacks.

 

[debaser66]

just waive VO and send him to Rochester

 

[TheMistyStranger]

I'd give Savoie a couple games and send them both back to the Dub, while working the phones to bring in a high effort winger.

 

[Jacob582]

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

Might as well keep him on the Sabres while we have our development coach and no expectations from management to win.

 

[toddkaz]

There should be a buyout option. Like 100,000-500.000 depending on the player.

If Buffalo gives 500,000 to Wenatchee and Savoie can play with the Amerks. Or 300,000 to Wenatchee and 200,000 gets split up between the other WHL teams for the away game gate sales.

Of course this is just guessing on the amount, you would need to study it closer but CHL teams could definitely use the money and it seems like a win win.

 

[Reddawg]

There should be a buyout option. Like 100,000-500.000 depending on the player.

If Buffalo gives 500,000 to Wenatchee and Savoie can play with the Amerks. Or 300,000 to Wenatchee and 200,000 gets split up between the other WHL teams for the away game gate sales.

Of course this is just guessing on the amount, you would need to study it closer but CHL teams could definitely use the money and it seems like a win win.

That would make a great deal of sense. If Benson and Savoie aren’t going to be sent to Wentachee anyway and everyone knows it, why not do a financial deal that benefits everyone? It’s better than the paperwork tap dance that’s going to end up happening all season over the fact that Matt was born one day past the deadline.

 

[BuffaloGooner]

Hoping he makes his NHL debut tonight.

 

[Faceboner]

Screw Wenatchee if they won't release savoie there is more benefit for him in the NHL than whl Benson might be able to gain something from going back but at this point rather have him with org than that mess

 

[Ace]

Savoie is screwed by every stupid angle. Born a day after the cutoff or this wouldn’t be an issue. Allowed to play 22 games in the WHL at 15 but not granted exceptional status or this wouldn’t be an issue. He played in another league the Covid year…which actually doesn’t matter since the shady WHL owners cut their season off one game short of counting as an accrued season for the players anyway. Because they couldn’t care less about the players.

I would never send him back. I would never send anyone back. They want to be like this…about a guy who clearly belongs at a different level? Then you get nothing. It’s not the Shane Wright plan because Shane Wright went back eventually. I’m never sending him back. I’m giving you the middle finger and you’re praying I never draft out of your league again because I’m going to start paying for my players to live in Europe and pluck them out immediately until this agreement benefits the players and not an owner who moved his team overnight, hired a piece of shit coach who couldnt make it to game 1, and upended everything

 

[Ace]

I’ve always struggled to understand how the Junior agreements are even legal. At the end of the day we are talking about not being allowed to take a paying job because you are indentured to a commitment that pays nothing. How in the world could that ever hold up in court? Sorry the leagues have decided you aren’t allowed to take a paying gig. Go work and risk your health for free.

Businesses deciding for you that you aren’t allowed to have a better job is the shadiest shit I’ve ever seen. When you’re qualified to make money as a pro…no one should be allowed to force you back to doing it for less. As soon as the Amerks say he’s earned a job…that should be the end of it.

 

[Chainshot]

I’ve always struggled to understand how the Junior agreements are even legal. At the end of the day we are talking about not being allowed to take a paying job because you are indentured to a commitment that pays nothing. How in the world could that ever hold up in court? Sorry the leagues have decided you aren’t allowed to take a paying gig. Go work and risk your health for free.

The reason the draft is at 18 was due to a right to work lawsuit filed by Ken Linseman. In regards to how it's done, part of it is how corrosive having free rein to use the junior league recalls is to the junior teams. In the bigger picture the CHL teams having their players pushes their gate which in turn allows them to remain viable. They in turn pay transfer fees to midget and triple A teams that they draft players from which keeps those leagues functioning. Those teams in turn do the same to leagues below them. If the viability of the teams at the top is damaged, it hurts the feeder system below it, hampering the development opportunities overall. We know teams would abuse the recall rules because that's what they did - Scotty Bowman was one of the worst at it and his pulling guys like Tucker, Andreychuk and even Ken Priestley up instead of using his farm team was an active part of why the agreement is in place in the fashion it is.

If a player is good enough to be on an NHL team and pulling down NHL salary, he will be able to do so. But if he's not then the avenue to play and work on one's game remains returning to the junior ranks.

And I've yet to hear anyone credibly put going back to junior as the reason some prospect failed to develop. I see guys who jumped up who fail to round out their games or fail to hit the peak for their predicted development regularly over the years. But someone who goes back and dominates? Nah.

And this gets folded in with the issue that the roster as built in Buffalo has need for up-tempo players like Savoie and guys who win puck battles like Benson because so much of the roster is just not that. People want the thrill of rooting for these guys now.

 

[Ehran]

I mean, at least the junior players get to sign contracts and receive signing bonuses.

The NCAA setup though is exceptionally more antiquated and out of touch.

Neither is really doing well by the players.

 

[Chainshot]

I mean, at least the junior players get to sign contracts and receive signing bonuses.

The NCAA setup though is exceptionally more antiquated and out of touch.

Neither is really doing well by the players.

I would say the CHL does okay for players - they get their college tuition covered if they so choose to go to Canadian university and they don't have to play to get that scholarship.

 

[Snippit]

So his 6 games are done. Rochester followers, where is he at? Has he earned some NHL games or is it back to Wenatchee for him?

 

[La Cosa Nostra]

The CHL agreement is a joke. NHL should tell them to either make the age 19 to play in the AHL, still giving the chl teams an extra year of hoarding the players or they can f*** off and these top players should just play overseas or in the NCAA.

 

[Chainshot]

So his 6 games are done. Rochester followers, where is he at? Has he earned some NHL games or is it back to Wenatchee for him?

I'd say look.

 

[Deep Blue Metallic]

The contract between the NHL and CHL hampers maybe one or two players per year. Unfortunately it has snared our two best junior-age players this season.

Where I think Savoie in particular is being dealt with unfairly is his stint in the USHL during covid hysteria does not count as a junior season; otherwise he'd be eligible for AHL play, iiuc. There was talk not long ago that the Sabres might petition for an exception on that basis, but it seems that isn't happening.

Really only two options here (Captain Obvious alert):

1. Send one or both back to the the Wild.
2. Keep one or both with the Sabres, and be willing to burn an ELC year and tie up a roster spot that Adams might dearly love to have at some point during the season.

 

[Old Navy Goat]

Burning an ELC year really isn't that big of a deal as the games played only matters if they accrue enough for the year to count. Otherwise it has no bearing on UFA or RFA arbitration.

Give Savoie a look to see where he is, especially as his speed and vision would be a change of pace in the bottom 6. When Benson comes off IR you send him to the Dub and have him work on increasing his strength

 

[Zman5778]

So his 6 games are done. Rochester followers, where is he at? Has he earned some NHL games or is it back to Wenatchee for him?

Certainly earned a look in Buffalo.

 

[Chainshot]

The CHL agreement is a joke. NHL should tell them to either make the age 19 to play in the AHL, still giving the chl teams an extra year of hoarding the players or they can f*** off and these top players should just play overseas or in the NCAA.

So make sure to hurt the top of the money tree for other development leagues because that's so good for the rest of the feeder systems the percolate up through Bantam to Midget/AAA up to the CHL? Seems like a great way to strangle off the development system by killing off CHL teams and thus limiting opportunities from below. Find a different solution - be it an exemption process or some such but screwing the development leagues where a majority of the NHL comes from that also then in turn hurts the systems below them seems like the idea that doesn't merit action.