Playing alongside Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl on the Edmonton Oilers is a dream come true for rookie Matt Savoie. However, the work has only just begun for the former first-round pick in the 2025-26 NHL season.
After a deflating 4-3 loss to the Calgary Flames in the season opener, the Oilers bounced back with two straight wins. Savoie got an early preview of how McDavid and Draisaitl go about their business in the NHL. On that note, the young forward made an honest admission.
“It just makes you want to push yourself to get better, I think, seeing the level they’re at, the way they train and handle themselves every single day,” Savoie said in dialogue with the NHL @TheRink podcast. “It’s just cool to see firsthand, see and experience it. It’s a privilege.”
Close proximity
On that note, fellow rookie on the Oilers, Ike Howard, spoke on his thoughts as he shares the ice with arguably the best duo in the NHL and one of the best in league history.
“It’s pretty cool even to be asked about them,” Howard commented. “To be able to talk about how dialed in those guys are and how good they are from a day-to-day standpoint. Get to know them. Seeing them every day is pretty special.”
Picking up by osmosis
As Savoie and Howard take their first steps in the NHL, having McDavid and Draisaitl to learn from is invaluable. Still, there’s plenty of work ahead for both rookies.
So far in the 2025-26 season, neither Savoie nor Howard has recorded a point. While Howard has yet to register his first career point, Savoie remains at one, thanks to a lone assist against the Philadelphia Flyers during the 2024-25 campaign.