It appears Matt Savoie will be a healthy scratch for the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night.
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It's not surprising to see the Oilers furiously shuffling their lines as they search for their first win since before the 4 Nations break. It's also not uncommon to see a young player like Savoie spend some time in the press box.
But Savoie's scratching is still curious and could indicate a worrying trend in the organization.
We'll start with Savoie's play. He's only played three games with the Oilers, all demoralizing losses, but to these eyes he was one of the team's bright spots in all three games.
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The 22-year-old looked extremely comfortable on Leon Draisaitl's wing, getting himself open for shots and carrying the puck with confidence while not shying away from puck battles along the boards. He picked up his first career point on Saturday in Philadelphia by winning one of those puck battles and finding Draisaitl in front with an assist.
If Savoie is sitting, that means someone else is tagging in. He'll be replaced by Jeff Skinner, another smallish scoring winger, on Thursday, after Skinner was a surprise scratch on Tuesday in Tampa Bay. Skinner's scratch raised eyebrows, especially considering Viktor Arvidsson's subpar play since the break. For the second straight game, Arvidsson will stay in the lineup while a surging winger watches from the press box.
That leads us to the bigger question: can the Oilers avoid a Dylan Holloway situation with Matt Savoie?
Part of the reason Holloway and Philip Broberg signed their offer sheets in St. Louis over the summer was because they didn't see a path to more playing time in Edmonton. Both players struggled to stick in the lineup during their tenure with the Oilers, and neither got consistent playing time near the top of the lineup. Promises of future playing time only go so far.
Now, the Oilers have the chance to make things right with Savoie. Their initial treatment of Savoie has been encouraging: let him tear up the AHL for a few months as he gets used to the pro game, then play him next to Leon Draisaitl, where his offensive talent can really shine.
Matt Savoie. (Perry Nelson-Imagn Images)But now comes the most important, and most difficult, part: trusting him. Many NHL coaches have a bad habit of expecting perfection from their young players and playing gritty veterans over them. In dire need of secondary scoring and with almost no cap space, the Oilers can't afford not to trust Savoie.
He's their only impact prospect and could be a real difference maker right now, let alone in the future with more experience. He won't get that experience in the press box, and he certainly won't score any goals from up there. It's time to let the kid play.
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