Matt Savoie was the youngest player on the ice when the Sabres first practice group, comprising mostly of established veterans, held its session at KeyBank Center on Friday.
The inclusion meant another day of NHL experience for the 18-year-old forward while also signifying a reward for his body of work through over a week of training camp and two preseason games.
"There's so many things to be excited about," Sabres coach Don Granato said. "I think the more experiences we can immerse him in while he is here, the better and faster he will acclimate. Yeah, the intention is got him into another game at least and evaluate again from that point."
Camp Notebook | Savoie earning further evaluation with strong performance
What we learned on Day 9 of Sabres camp
© Ben Green
Video: Don Granato after Friday's practice
Granato confirmed that the plan is for Savoie to play in at least one more preseason game. The Sabres have three more exhibitions remaining, beginning with their home game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday afternoon.
"The intention is get him into another game at least and evaluate again from that point," Granato said.
Buffalo drafted Savoie with the ninth-overall pick this summer, touting his package of speed, skill, and two-way work ethic. He put that on display during the Prospects Challenge, where he scored three goals in three games while playing in all situations.
Since then, he has had five up-tempo training camp practices, one intrasquad scrimmage, and two preseason games.
"Obviously, the pace keeps ramping up," Savoie said. "I like that. I like to continue to move forward and continue to get better. I think it's definitely a big challenge out there. It's a pace of play that I've never really seen before, never been used to So, just going out there, working my hardest, trying my best. That's been the recipe for success so far."
Savoie has two traits on his side. One is his ability to make plays at a high speed, an aspect of his game that made his a top-10 pick. The other is his tendency to make linemates better.
One example, courtesy of Granato: Savoie centered Casey Mittelstadt and Kyle Okposo during the intrasquad scrimmage. The two veterans enjoyed playing with him so much that the trio was put together again for a preseason game against Philadelphia.
"I think I try and support the puck as much as I can," Savoie said. "I obviously like to play a fast game. When I'm moving my feet, I think that's when I'm most effective out there. I've gotten better at being hard on pucks in the offensive zone and being able to backcheck and be reliable in my D zone. The offense will continue to come, and the comfortability will keep growing there."
Video: Matt Savoie\ after Friday's practice
Savoie said at the outset of the Prospects Challenge that his goal is to play in as many NHL games as possible this season. That is a tall order for any 18-year-old; the more common route even for top-10 picks is to return to junior or college hockey for at least one season before turning pro.
Nearing the midway point of training camp, he's done enough to warrant further evaluations.
"I think my goal is to keep getting better every day," he said. "Continuing to adjust to the pace and continuing to grow my confidence. I think I've done a good job so far, so I think I'm just going to continue with that."
Here are more notes from Day 9 of training camp.
1.Here's how the Sabres' first practice group lined up in full on Friday:
| September 30 - Session 1 |
| --- |
| | C | RW |
| 22 Jack Quinn | 72 Tage Thompson | 71 Victor Olofsson |
| 53 Jeff Skinner | 37 Casey Mittelstadt | 89 Alex Tuch |
| 19 Peyton Krebs | 24 Dylan Cozens | 77 JJ Peterka |
| 74 Rasmus Asplund | 28 Zemgus Girgensons | 21 Kyle Okposo |
| 96 Anders Bjork | 93 Matt Savoie | 29 Vinnie Hinostroza |
| LD | RD | G |
| 23 Mattias Samuelsson | 26 Rasmus Dahlin | 41 Craig Anderson |
| 25 Owen Power | 10 Henri Jokiharju | 31 Eric Comrie |
| 78 Jacob Bryson | 45 Casey Fitzgerald | |
| 4 Jeremy Davies | 46 Ilya Lyubushkin | |
2. Granato said the plan is for forward Jiri Kulich, the 28th-overall pick this summer, to also play in at least one more preseason game.
Whereas Savoie must return to Winnipeg of the Western Hockey League if he does not make the Sabres, Kulich can play in Rochester or return to his pro team in Czechia.
"He's shown to acclimate and improve and get better each and every day here," Granato said. "So, we're intrigued by that, we're intrigued by the growth, but knowing he's a young guy. And like we talk about young guys a lot, he's in a very high development window of his career by virtue of his age.
"We talk a lot about what's the best environment for his development as we consider him. Right now, today, being here is the best spot for his development, today. In the process of that, yes, we want to get him another game and continue that discussion."
3.The Sabres teased a new addition to the family on Friday:
Tweet from @BuffaloSabres: 👀 pic.twitter.com/6TVSP0LoPg
Count Savoie as one player who will be a fan.
"I'm a big dog guy," Savoie said. "I've got a dog back home and I love it."
FYI: Savoie's dog is a Soft-coated Wheaten Terrier named Deke.
