Stan Bowman is under pressure to get this extension done, could change everything for Matt Savoie

Matt Savoie's rookie year is in the books, and now the Oilers face the real test this summer.

Edmonton has a decision to make before Sept. 16, and it's about term, not talent.

Savoie put up 18 goals and 37 points in 82 games this year on a cap hit of just $886,667.

That's a bargain number for a player who took over a top-six role down the stretch.

Look at what Carolina just did with the Cup. Logan Stankoven and Jackson Blake signed long-term extensions last July before either had truly broken out.

Stankoven scored 21 goals and 44 points this season on his new deal. Blake potted 22 goals and 53 points doing the same thing on his wing.

Both cashed in during the playoffs too, combining for 18 goals and 36 points across 19 postseason games each.

How Carolina's contract blueprint should guide Edmonton

That's the model. Lock up young, productive players before arbitration or term inflation kicks in, and let the cap room pile up elsewhere.

Carolina still has $9.8 million in space as of July 11, and not one player making over $10 million.

Savoie's season splits hard into two halves. Through his first 58 games he averaged 13:50 a night, buried in the lineup, scoring nine goals and 18 points while going minus-2.

Then Edmonton moved him alongside Connor McDavid after the Olympic break. Savoie spent 63 per cent of his five-on-five minutes with McDavid down the stretch.

The results? Nine goals and 19 points in 24 games, outpacing his entire first half in a third of the games.

Evolving Hockey projects an eight-year deal for Savoie would carry a $4.8 million cap hit. Drop it to seven years and it lands at $4.344 million.

Compare that to Blake's numbers before his extension and Savoie's price actually looks light. Bowman should be sprinting to get this done, not walking.

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Edmonton finished the year 41-30-11 for 93 points, and that top-six question isn't going away on its own.

Here's the catch nobody's talking about enough: signing early only works if the player wants to bet on himself before the cap really starts climbing.

Would Savoie rather take a lower number now for security, or bet on a bigger payday once the ceiling rises? That's the whole game.

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