The Edmonton Oilers acquired forward Matt Savoie from the Buffalo Sabres in July 2024. He has one more season left on his entry-level contract (ELC), and he’s eligible to sign a contract extension on July 1, becoming a restricted free agent (RFA) in 2027. He’s having a breakout season, so it will be intriguing to see how general manager Stan Bowman handles his contract negotiations this summer.
The 22-year-old has 15 goals and 32 points in 76 games, averaging 14:32 of ice time in his first full season. He’s undersized at 5-foot-10, but despite that, he has managed to stay healthy thus far in his young career. He also plays in every situation and has been promoted to the top line, where he has found instant success. He has become a crucial penalty killer, leading the Oilers’ forwards in shorthanded ice time.
In a recent interview, Connor McDavid was asked about playing with Savoie. “He has played with the puck his whole life, and it takes a while to figure that out in this league. He’s obviously figured out the defensive side first, and that’s a great thing. You can see the offence is starting to come now. He moves so well, and when you have an engine like his, it allows you to extend plays and keep the puck alive, and that’s how you score in this league,” McDavid stated.
Savoie has become a valuable piece to the team, but he’s still developing on the fly. That makes contract negotiations with him difficult. There’s some risk involved, because what’s his ceiling? Will he be a defensive-minded player in the top nine who maxes out at 15 goals per season and kills penalties? Or will he be a perennial 20-25 goal scorer and be a staple in the top six? We must ask these questions.
Do the Oilers risk signing him to a long-term extension? As we’ve seen in the past, those don’t always work out, but occasionally you discover a hidden gem. The organization can also take a more cautious approach by signing him to a short-term deal with a lower cap hit. Bowman is in an unenviable position.
Contract Comparables
Let’s take a look at similar situations throughout the league. Logan Stankoven signed an eight-year extension with a $6 million cap hit with the Carolina Hurricanes, beginning next season. When he signed that deal on July 1, 2025, he had 14 goals and 38 points in 78 games the previous season. He has followed that up with 17 goals and 36 points in 75 games so far this season.
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Like Savoie, Stankoven is also an undersized forward, but the latter doesn’t kill penalties, only spending 3:16 of ice time shorthanded. They both have similar offensive production and ice time, with Stankoven averaging 15:08 per game throughout his career, and Savoie averaging 14:19 per game. Stankoven is one year older.
Then there’s Frank Nazar from the Chicago Blackhawks. Nazar signed a seven-year contract extension with the Blackhawks with a cap hit just below $6.6 million after playing only 56 NHL games. He registered 12 goals and 26 points in 53 games before signing that extension. He was selected just four picks after Savoie in the 2022 NHL Draft and has played 35 more games.
The most significant difference between the two players is that Nazar is part of Chicago’s rebuilding core, whereas Savoie is a complementary piece. The Blackhawks have a boatload of cap space this offseason, so it was imperative to lock up their key young pieces. On the other hand, the Oilers don’t have much cap space and can’t afford to give Savoie a giant payday right now.
Finally, there’s teammate Vasily Podkolzin. Podkolzin is over two years older than Savoie and signed a three-year extension with a $2.95 million cap hit. Podkolzin scored eight goals before signing his extension, but then he popped off for 17 goals this season.
It’s imperative to get Savoie’s deal done this summer. They can’t afford to wait like they did with Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway, because we all know what happened in those situations.
What Should Savoie’s Contract Extension Look Like?
Savoie’s contract extension should be somewhere between Stankoven’s and Podkolzin’s. The term should be less than Stankoven’s and Nazar’s, but longer than Podkolzin’s, and the same with the cap hit.
With that said, his contract should be around five years with a $4.5 million cap hit. That would buy all of his RFA years and walk him right to unrestricted free agency (UFA) when it expires. He will be 28 years old, and if he continues trending upwards, he can cash in for a massive payday when he’s still in his prime as the salary cap continues to increase exponentially. This would be a win-win for both him and the organization as they vie for the Stanley Cup.
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