Welcome back to Top Shelf Prospects, the daily column that brings you the next crop of professional hockey players. Each day I will bring you a new player profile or topical article in the lead-up to the 2020 NHL Draft. Be sure to bookmark the site, follow me on Twitter, and spread the word for the site that will bring you analytical and critical profiles and scouting reports! Last Word On Hockey Prospects is your new headquarters for everything “NHL Draft”! We have a complete listing of our draft articles here. Today we look at Carter Savoie.
Carter Savoie, drafted by the Regina Pats in the 2017 WHL Draft, instead opted to continue playing Junior A hockey to keep his college options open. He is committed to playing hockey for the University of Denver next year. In the meantime, Savoie has been playing for the Sherwood Park Crusaders and dominating the AJHL. He put up 53 goals and 46 assists for 99 points in just 54 games this season. Savoie led the league in goals and was named to the North Division All-Star Team. He also played for the AJHL Selects in the Junior Club World Championship, scoring one goal and five points in five games. Savoie had two goals in four games playing for Canada West at the World Junior A Hockey Challenge. His WHL rights were traded to the Winnipeg Ice.
Last season, Savoie scored 31 goals and 42 assists for 73 points in 58 games. He was named AJHL Rookie of the year. He was also part of the League’s All-Rookie Team and the North All-Star Team. Savoie is the older brother of Matthew Savoie, the first overall pick in the 2019 WHL Bantam Draft, and one of the top prospects for the 2022 NHL Draft.
Carter Savoie Scouting Report
Left Wing — shoots Left
Born January 23rd, 2002 — St. Albert, Alberta
Height 5’10”– Weight 192 lbs [178 cm/87 kg]
Skating
While not a speedster, Savoie is still a good skater. His top-end speed is above average, but will not blow anyone away. However, it is the other aspects of his skating that set him apart. He can be very hard to contain in one-on-one situations. Savoie has very good acceleration. His ability to quickly change speeds can be a weapon on the rush. He can quickly speed up and take a defender wide, or he can slow up and create a passing or shooting lane.
Savoie is also able to make quick cuts and change directions with his excellent agility and edgework. This allows him to get away from defenders both with and without the puck. Savoie has a strong lower-body, his stride is powerful and he is tough to knock off the puck. He is also good at battling for loose pucks in the corners and in front of the net.
Offensive Game
Savoie has an excellent arsenal of shots and a deceptively quick release. His wrist shot and snapshot are both hard and accurate. He also has a very good one-timer. Savoie can even be effective on the backhand. He can create his own shot off the rush or working off the boards in the cycle. Savoie is also smart and can find openings in the defence, being prepared to take a pass from a teammate and fire it on the net. He is not afraid to play in the dirty areas of the ice, using his strong lower body to establish position in the slot.
Savoie can also play the role of a playmaker. With his excellent balance, he can control the puck down low. He makes quick passes to teammates and then finds open space. When a teammate is open in front of the net, he has the vision to find them and can make a smart pass through tight areas. Savoie is an all-around offensive threat. He is especially dangerous on the power play. Savoie reads the play well, anticipating the movements of opponents and teammates. He controls the play on the half-boards, quarterbacking the play and finding openings to create scoring chances. He is also willing to battle on the boards for loose pucks, despite his lack of size.
Defensive Game
Savoie is dominant in puck possession in the AJHL and as such does not see a lot of time in the defensive end of the ice. When he does, he backchecks effectively, providing support to the defence and creating turnovers. However, he can sometimes fly the zone early when one of his teammates gets the puck, looking to create offence. This is something that must be cut back on as he faces better opposition who will be able to take advantage of this.
Projection and Comparison
Savoie is a solid prospect and may have top-six upside on the wing. Playing in the AJHL, it is a little tougher to project him and he could need more time due to the fact that he hasn’t faced a lot of high-level competition to this point. Some time with the University of Denver will be to his benefit, though the Winnipeg Ice certainly hope he changes his mind and joins his brother with their team. Either way, a step up in opposition will be good for Savoie’s development. His game is reminiscent of Cam Atkinson, but this is a stylistic comparison only and not one based on skill or ability.
Highlights
The following is a compilation of some of the highlight packages and features of Carter Savoie that are available on youtube.
Check back tomorrow for the next prospect on our draft board.
Carter Savoie Main Photo:
Dynamic Hockey Development is proud to announce Bruce MacGregor (@BPontiacs), Carter Savoie (@SPcrusaders), and Matthew Savoie (@WHLWpgICE) will be guest coaches at the 2020 Spring Development Program! Register today to work with this group of talented junior hockey players pic.twitter.com/uz8mtkx6Kg
— Dynamic Hockey Development (@HockeyDynamic) March 5, 2020
