NEWSLETTER
We’ve reached the point in the Blackhawks’ season where the losses are mounting rapidly and they’re tied with the Columbus Blue Jackets for the second lowest points total in the NHL (just two ahead of Anaheim for the lowest). The Blackhawks haven’t won a game since November 12.
We knew this was coming, even with an unexpectedly decent start. We also knew this would be a season of prospect-watching, something we’ve focused on with our coverage of the Blackhawks organization this season.
But prospect watching in hockey is a tricky proposition. It’s not as easy as getting an MiLB TV subscription and following your favorite MLB team’s affiliates in one central place.
In hockey, you’ve got to do a little bit more digging. At times, it reminds me of the oft-used Always Sunny in Philadelphia meme where Charlie Kelly is spinning a conspiracy board.
Tab and I do our best to package it up for you, but we feel like Charlie some days too. There are times, however, when a prospect is playing well enough that it grabs our attention. And right now, one of the prospects who stole a lot of attention, eyeballs and headlines during prospect camps and training camp is doing just that.
Samuel Savoie is on one heck of a heater with the Gatineau Olympiques of the QMJHL.
Savoie is riding an 11-game point streak for the Olympiques during which he has tallied 19 points (10 goals and nine assists). He opened the season with just five points in 11 games (still not terrible), but he’s red hot right now.
The 2022 third-rounder has five multi-point and three three-point games, in which he netted a goal and a pair of assists while skating on the Olympiques’ top line.
Here’s a look at a recent goal for Savoie, his ninth of the season from November 16:
Here’s a look at Savoie getting a goal in front of the net, something that’ll likely be a big part of his game moving forward:
Savoie looked skilled and aggressive during this summer’s developmental camp and training camp in Chicago. Still, for all the confidence he brought to the table — and there was plenty of it — he looked like a raw 18-year-old who needed plenty of seasoning.
Luke Richardson labeled Savoie during training camp as “a guy that turns things up on the bottom of the ocean.” Anders Sorensen dubbed him Andrew Shaw Lite.
Savoie said he likened himself to Brad Marchand: “Marchand’s a guy who likes to get under people’s skin. That’s what I do. And I like it.”
During his brief stop in Chicago, Savoie displayed those skills to a pretty strong response in the affirmative from fans and coaches alike. After a relatively slow start in the QMJHL this season, his recent tear has him on pace to dwarf his scoring output from last season, making it seem promising that he can blend the two skill sets in the long term.
In 64 games with the Gatineau Olympiques, last season Savoie registered 33 points (18 G, 15 A), and he already has 24 points in 22 games, putting him on pace to double his scoring output from last season, which is an impressive jump year-over-year.
