Savoie doesn’t miss a beat

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This article was published 04/09/2021 (1497 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Winnipeg Ice will be required viewing for NHL scouts in WHL arenas this winter.

That is a given with two young stud forwards — Matt Savoie and Conor Geekie — poised to dominate after superb 16-year-old seasons.

The big difference is Geekie did his prep work with the Ice during a condensed 24-game season in the WHL’s Regina hub while Savoie, opting for an earlier start and more game action, erupted for 21 goals and 38 points in 34 games while on loan to the USHL’s Dubuque Fighting Saints.

Savoie quickly became a key member of the Saints, eventually earning a spot on the league’s first all-rookie team.

The 17-year-old from St. Albert, Alta., is no stranger to the attention. Long touted as a probable top pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, he returned to Winnipeg earlier this week and debuted at the Ice’s main training camp Friday night.

He had no regrets about going south but is happy to be back nonetheless.

“I thought it was a great developmental year,” said Savoie, who played 22 games as a 15-year-old for Winnipeg in 2019-20. “Obviously no one really played a full season last year (but) it was good to go down there and get over 30 games and work on the game in a bit of a different setting. I thought was really good for me. We had a bit of an older team and a lot of maturity in our locker room. I learned a lot down there.”

Assistant GM Jake Heisinger doesn’t see any big hurdles to Savoie’s return to Winnipeg.

“Players like Matt who are as talented as he is, it’s normally a pretty seamless transition and seeing him interact back with the guys today, it seemed like he hasn’t missed a beat,” said Heisinger.

Although Savoie was able to use his explosive speed and deadly shot to great advantage in the U.S., there were distinct differences between the USHL and WHL.

“System-wise I think it’s more of… a defensive game down there and lots of trapping up… and not as aggressive,” he said. “So it definitely a little bit different in playing styles.”

Savoie has used the off-season to good advantage. He joined Geekie at Canada’s U18 national team summer camp in Calgary and has made improvements in fitness, diet and strength.

“This is my draft year so it’s a big year and (there’s) lots of eyes on a lot of players in the Western League this year,” said Savoie. “I think I am more worried about the team’s success this year. I think they have a good team and (James Patrick) addressed it a bunch and (GM) Matt (Cockell) addressed it, we’re kind of going for it this year. I’m really looking forward competing every night with the team.”

Whether he will be partnered with Geekie, another natural centre, remains to be seen.

“We’re really close friends off the ice and we’ll see,” said Savoie. “I don’t really know what the lines are going to look like… so I’m waiting to see after training camp. I think we both want to play centre this year and we’ll see how that pans out.”

Ice head coach James Patrick is still considering how to use what should be a very potent forward group, even with the graduation of league MVP Peyton Krebs to the pro ranks.

“We have (Jakin) Smallwood who can play centre or wing, (Cole) Muir can play centre and wing and I feel the same way about Matt,” said Patrick. “I’d like to start him at centre and see how it goes.”

Patrick said the advance notices on Savoie have been very positive.

“I had a number of scouts tell me he is the best player at the U18 (camp) — he and (Regina Pats star) Connor Bedard were the best players there,” said Patrick. “Either way, it was some real high praise.”

Curiously, Savoie has yet to score a goal in the WHL. It’s a stat he expects to remedy shortly.

“I think the goals will come,” he said. “I definitely had a lot of chances as a 15-year-old. I’m not too worried. I think when the time comes it’ll be there. Half of it is about luck and being in the right place so I think I’m gonna set myself up well this year.”

PROSPECTING: The Ice have so far been unable to recruit either of the club’s two selections from the WHL’s 2020 U.S. Prospects Draft — Jayson Shaugabay, a centre from Warroad, Minn., and Beckett Hendrickson, a forward from Minnetonka, Minn., — to training camp.

Shaugabay made an early commitment to the University of Minnesota Duluth while Hendrickson recently earned a spot on the U.S. National U17 Team.

Heisinger was non-committal when asked if the pandemic interfered with his club’s attempts to make a pitch to Hendrickson or Shaugabay.

“I don’t know if I can say one way or another,” said Heisinger. “Obviously, if what has transpired in the last year and a half wasn’t the case then we would have had a training camp last year (with) the ability for them to come down last year and kind of see where things are at.”

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @sawa14