Finding good pieces late in the NHL Entry Draft is key to the success of any winning hockey club. Not every organization is good at it because more often than not, the chances of late picks making it to the pros is slim. That said, the Edmonton Oilers may have found a winner in 2020 fourth-round pick Carter Savoie.
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It’s far too early to know if the early success Savoie is having at the NCAA level is the sign of things to come. That said, it’s certainly not bad news as far as the Oilers are concerned. Savoie has three goals in two games to start his freshman season for the University of Denver. The St. Albert native, now just 18 years old, is turning heads with his play. During the play-by-play for the game, the announcers said, “This Savoie kid is the real deal.” He added, “We’ve called his name a lot.”
What Can the Oilers Look Forward to With Savoie?
EliteProspects 2020 NHL Draft Guide said the Savoie before he was draft, that he “reads defenders like few other players in the draft. He is acutely aware of opposing sticks and actively baits them.” You could see that with his second goal in the game on Saturday.
He’s deceptive and fires with power, he’s precise and uses trickery and screens to his advantage. He used all those tools to score 99 points in 54 games last season with the Sherwood Park Crusaders “A” team.
His Crusaders Head Coach, Adam Manah noted how quickly he gets his shot off. He said, “Goalies don’t normally get set.” and added, “besides getting it off quickly, it’s his ability to change his shooting angle. Whether that’s a toe, a push/pull, or whatever it might be. He does all of those things better than anyone else.” Again, that seems like a bang-on description of that second goal.
He’s not big (listed at 5’10”) but he plays like a power forward. If he continues to show well, Edmonton might have found another future pro forward deep into the draft. In fact, he was the 100th pick.
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