Matthew Savoie’s Agent Gives Update on Extension Discussions With Oilers

Several teams are getting their own business done with their respective players who are eligible for an extension, including the San Jose Sharks, who have locked up Macklin Celebrini, and are expected to extend both Collin Graf and Will Smith shortly.

For the Edmonton Oilers, their fans have been waiting for the team to announce an extension for Matthew Savoie. Although there isn’t an imminent extension, an update has finally come out regarding discussions between the two sides.

Extension Talks Haven’t Started, But No Need to Panic

Gerry Johannson, Savoie’s agent, joined Oilers Now with Bob Stauffer, mentioning that extension discussions haven’t begun yet, but seemed to make it clear there was no reason to panic, as the Oilers are in a “unique position” where they are in a “win-now mode.”

Johansson said, “Matt really likes it [in Edmonton], and we’d love him to stay here. I know he would. I think in talking to Stan, that will come. But as we know, Edmonton is pretty focused on this year. I think Matt is patient and really enjoys it here and did a good job last year, so we’re excited to see what he can do. I’m sure we’ll get down to that sooner than later.”

This would indicate the Oilers and Savoie will, eventually, try to hammer out an extension, but both sides understand that there is time to be patient, and they don’t have to rush into things.

This does come with a risk for the Oilers. If Savoie takes another step forward, his extension ask could skyrocket, especially with a rising cap. On the other hand, if Savoie takes a step back, he likely ends up leaving both term and money on the table.

What Does a Savoie Extension Look Like?

Savoie, who is 22 years old, is coming off his first full season in the NHL, where he played 82 games, scoring 18 goals and adding 19 assists for 37 points.

With the landscape around the NHL changing with contract prices going up, it’s hard to imagine what Savoie’s new contract will look like. Depending on what his 2026-27 season looks like, he could be looking at a short-term bridge deal, but if he elevates even more he could ask for a long-term deal.

Matt Parks, our own writer at The Hockey Writers, gave a couple of comparables in an article a little while ago. He first mentioned Logan Stankoven, who signed an eight-year deal worth $6 million annually. He also mentioned Frank Nazar, who signed a seven-year extension with a cap hit just below $6.6 million without a full NHL season under his belt. Parks also mentioned Vasily Podkolzin, who signed a three-year deal with a $2.95 million cap hit.

Parks finished up by writing, “[Savoie’s] contract should be around five years with a $4.5 million cap hit. That would buy all of his RFA years and walk him right to unrestricted free agency (UFA) when it expires. He will be 28 years old, and if he continues trending upwards, he can cash in for a massive payday when he’s still in his prime as the salary cap continues to increase exponentially.”

That seemed to be a fair number, but with an interesting summer driving up everyone’s asking price, $4.5 million seems unrealistic. A five-year term wouldn’t be too bad, but Savoie probably comes in closer to $7 million annually.

Ideally, the Oilers and Savoie hammered out an extension this summer, but that doesn’t seem realistic anymore. They likely don’t want to go through something similar to the Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg situation, where they lost both to offer sheets, but they seem willing to be patient, since there doesn’t seem to be any reason to panic at this point.

As the 2026-27 season approaches, be sure to continue following The Hockey Writers as your source for news, updates, and more from around the NHL and the hockey world.