>Matt Savoie, C/RW, Buffalo: It didn’t take long watching the games in Buffalo this week to come to the conclusion that the host team was the most talented. Isak Rosen (two goals and four points in two games) was one of the best players on the ice in both of the Sabres’ first two games of the tournament, knifing up coverage on the puck (and as a passer). Zach Benson (a goal and an assist in two games) didn’t look the least bit out of place as an 18-year-old. Jiri Kulich looked like a player who did what he did in the AHL last year. Nikita Novikov’s 100-plus games of KHL experience showed.
>But Savoie’s pace and work ethic were just so noticeable, right up until he appeared to hurt his shoulder on his first shift of Monday night’s finale. He routinely looked like he had a half step on the opposition, both in jump and in raw speed whenever he turned on the jets. He plays the game with such drive that his size never once felt like a factor (he has always been sneaky-strong, too).
>The shoulder injury is a tough blow. Savoie already dealt with one in his draft year, and a second injury usually comes with a recommendation for surgery and the six-month layoff that comes with it. For a kid who had a real chance in main camp to push for a nine-game NHL audition (especially after Jack Quinn’s injury), and was a lock to play for Canada at the world juniors, that’s devastating.
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>Buffalo Tournament: Scott Wheeler
>Matt Savoie, C/RW, Buffalo: It didn’t take long watching the games in Buffalo this week to come to the conclusion that the host team was the most talented. Isak Rosen (two goals and four points in two games) was one of the best players on the ice in both of the Sabres’ first two games of the tournament, knifing up coverage on the puck (and as a passer). Zach Benson (a goal and an assist in two games) didn’t look the least bit out of place as an 18-year-old. Jiri Kulich looked like a player who did what he did in the AHL last year. Nikita Novikov’s 100-plus games of KHL experience showed.
>But Savoie’s pace and work ethic were just so noticeable, right up until he appeared to hurt his shoulder on his first shift of Monday night’s finale. He routinely looked like he had a half step on the opposition, both in jump and in raw speed whenever he turned on the jets. He plays the game with such drive that his size never once felt like a factor (he has always been sneaky-strong, too).
>The shoulder injury is a tough blow. Savoie already dealt with one in his draft year, and a second injury usually comes with a recommendation for surgery and the six-month layoff that comes with it. For a kid who had a real chance in main camp to push for a nine-game NHL audition (especially after Jack Quinn’s injury), and was a lock to play for Canada at the world juniors, that’s devastating.