The Top 25 Under 25 is a collaboration by members of the Die By The Blade community. It was a combination of staff writers and over 200 readers that ranked Buffalo Sabres players under the age of 25 as of August 1, 2023. Each participant used their own metric of current ability and production to rank each player. Staff votes counted equally with reader votes.
Drafted: 2022 -1st Round (9th Overall)
Position: Center
Born: Jan 1, 2004 – 19 years old
2022-23 Stats: Rochester Americans (AHL) – 0-0-0 in 2 regular season games, Winnipeg Ice (WHL) 38-57-95 in 62 games played
2022 T25UT Ranking: 10
The Buffalo Sabres snagged prospect Matt Savoie as the 9th pick of the 2022 NHL Draft. The young center had a 0-0-0 record with the Rochester Amerks last season, but only appeared in two games. Savoie played well with the WHL’s Winnipeg Ice, where his stats were 38 goals, 57 assists and 95 points in 62 matchups.
Elite Prospects 2022 Draft Guide said about Savoie, “heavy crossover use and constant motion propel his high-pace, constantly attacking approach, making his every puck touch an opportunity to create a scoring chance.”
Savoie’s fast-paced, aggressive playing style was on display last season for Winnipeg. The prospect consistently moved the puck up the ice with lightning speed, getting shots on goal and beating opposing netminders more than once.
No. 93’s goal scoring prowess showed up again during the NHL Prospects Challenge on Sept. 15. With the game tied 2-2 against Montreal, fellow prospect Zach Benson took the puck down to the Canadiens’ end and shot it high. Savoie knocked it down and put it into the Habs’ net to give Buffalo a 3-1 lead.
Savoie wasn’t finished scoring, however. Later during the matchup, after the score was 4-3 Sabres, the fast-moving forward got another goal to make it 5-3 Buffalo.
The Sabres don’t have to make a final contract decision on Matt Savoie until the end of the 2025-26 season. While he’s still a young prospect, he should definitely play more than two games for the Amerks this year.
Savoie previously skated for the Blue and Gold against the Washington Capitals in a preseason game on 9/25/22. If he continues to perform at a high-level, fans should see him in a Sabres uniform again well before the next three seasons are up.
2023 Buffalo Sabres Top 25 Under 25-
#12: Peyton Krebs