Matthew Savoie and the Edmonton Oilers are not at the extension stage yet, but there’s no sign of alarm from either side.
That was the message from Gerry Johannson, Savoie’s agent, who joined Oilers Now with Bob Stauffer and said the talks simply haven’t started. Even so, Johannson made it clear the situation is not tense, pointing to Edmonton’s “unique position” as a team in “win-now mode.”
Johannson added, “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.”
For now, that leaves the Oilers and Savoie with time on their side. But it also means the price tag can keep moving.
If Savoie takes another step forward, his next deal could climb fast, especially with the salary cap rising. If he slips, he risks leaving money and term on the table.
Savoie, 22, just finished his first full NHL season and played all 82 games. He scored 18 goals and added 19 assists for 37 points.
The tricky part for Edmonton is figuring out what kind of contract makes sense in a market where prices keep pushing higher. A bridge deal remains a possibility depending on how his 2026-27 season goes, but a bigger breakout would put a long-term extension in play.
Matt Parks of The Hockey Writers recently floated a few comparables, including Logan Stankoven’s eight-year deal at $6 million per year, Frank Nazar’s seven-year extension with a cap hit just under $6.6 million, and Vasily Podkolzin’s three-year contract with a $2.95 million cap hit.
Parks also wrote, “[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 number feels low now, and the sense around this situation is that Savoie could land closer to $7 million annually if his stock keeps rising. A five-year term still makes sense as a framework, but the dollar figure is the part that has changed.
The Oilers would have preferred to get something done this summer, but that no longer appears likely. Still, there’s no panic here, and both sides seem comfortable waiting rather than forcing the issue.
Edmonton has already seen what can happen when negotiations drag, after losing Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg to offer sheets. This time, though, the tone around Savoie is different. The talks haven’t started, but the door remains open.
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