Connor McDavid backs Matt Savoie for Oilers’ top line

That's the story, not the score. Savoie is Buffalo's 2022 first-round pick, taken No. 9, and this is now a real top-six test with Leon Draisaitl expected out for the rest of the regular season.

Knoblauch didn't make a cosmetic change. He made a pace-and-pressure decision. Edmonton needs a winger who can keep up with Connor McDavid, win loose pucks, and stay available off the rush.

That line matters because McDavid isn't handing out empty praise in late March. He's talking about a rookie who has stayed on the No. 1 line and jumped onto the first power-play unit.

Savoie has played all 72 games and sits at 29 points. On Tuesday, he added a short-handed goal in a 5-2 win at Utah, which is exactly the kind of detail coaches trust.

Edmonton's power play is running at 31.0 percent, best in the League, so any touch on that unit tells you where the staff's trust level sits. Savoie and Jack Roslovic are sharing those minutes without Draisaitl.

Now the pressure shifts to Vegas. The Oilers are 35-28-9, the Golden Knights are 32-26-14, and Edmonton holds a one-point edge for second in the Pacific.

That makes this a roster answer, not a feel-good promotion. If Savoie handles this matchup, Knoblauch gets a faster top line and a young winger who looks ready for playoff minutes.