Matthew Savoie to return to Canada’s lineup for world junior quarterfinal game

He’s back.

After missing the final round-robin game against Germany on Sunday, Buffalo Sabres prospect Matthew Savoie will return to Canada’s lineup for its quarterfinal match on Tuesday against Czechia.

That means Jagger Firkus won’t be officially promoted to the top 23-man lineup, with Canada going back to a full roster when the game kicks off at 8:30 AM ET. Firkus joined the team late Sunday as a reserve player in case Savoie – or someone else – was unable to play the rest of the way.

Savoie had an MRI on Saturday, with Hockey Canada listing him as day-to-day after getting banged up against Sweden on Friday.

Savoie being 100 percent could still be valuable as Canada hopes to build upon a 6-3 win over Germany. The game was close throughout most of it, with the score getting tied 3-3 near the midway point of the third period. Expected to be a big piece of Canada’s attack, Savoie has just one assist in three games thus far. He’s been in Canada’s top six all tournament long, but the lethal scoring winger struggled to find the power needed to contribute early on.

A first-round pick in 2022, Savoie is one of the top prospects in the Sabres’ pipeline. He injured his shoulder during the Buffalo Prospect Showcase in September, forcing him to miss training camp. Savoie made his season debut with the AHL’s Rochester Americans, scoring two goals and five points as a 19-year-old underaged forward. He would go on to play his first NHL game in November before getting sent back to the WHL. In 24 games with the Wenatchee Wild, Savoie has 11 goals and 24 points.

If Canada can win its quarterfinal contest today, they’ll move on to the semifinal on Thursday, with the gold and bronze medal matches coming up Friday in Sweden.