Red Savage – 2021 NHL Draft Prospect Profile

by

Red Savage

2020-21 Team: USNTDP Juniors
Date of Birth: May 15, 2003
Place of Birth: Scottsdale, AZ, USA
Ht: 5-foot-11 Wt: 174 pounds
Shoots: L
Position: C/LW
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2021 first-year eligible

Rankings

When you look at the prospects available each year, there are always a few players who catch everyone’s attention, not because of their style of play, but due to their name. Red Savage has one of the best names in this draft, besides Owen Power, of course.

He is the son of former NHLer Brian Savage, who had a 12-year NHL career playing most notably for the Montreal Canadiens. He also won an Olympic gold medal with Team Canada in the 1993 Olympic Games.

Related: 2021 NHL Draft Guide

Savage brings a fantastic two-way game, he’s a Swiss Army knife, to say the least. His ability to get back on the defensive end and shut down the offensive rush is remarkable, and a skill that he can utilize for years to come. He possesses a high hockey IQ that also allows him to carry the puck into the offensive zone and create some scoring opportunities for his linemates.

Red Savage, USNDTP
Red Savage, USNDTP (Jenae Anderson / The Hockey Writers)

As a defensive powerhouse, Savage is relied on when it comes to the penalty kill. As mentioned above, his ability to play aggressively and shut the offensive zone down is something that scouts are going to drool over. He is also successful in the faceoff circle, an extremely useful tool, especially when it comes to the checking role and penalty kill.

Savage is committed to Miami University (Ohio) and will compete in the NCAA during the 2021-22 season, giving him another year to develop. A two-way center, he brings a lot of tenacity to his game and will most certainly be a pest that players will have to deal with for years. His offensive game requires some work, but after some tweaks, he could develop into a top-six center.

Red Savage – NHL Draft Projection

Savage is projected to go in the third round of the NHL Entry Draft, somewhere between 65th and 90th. I would expect him to be an early third-round pick.

Quotables

“Brian Savage’s younger son is a solid two way left centre with an aggressive attacking style and good stop/start speed along with excellent acceleration. He wants the puck, wants to be the guy carrying it on zone entries and has an excellent hockey IQ and hands to generate offense. When a teammate is in possession, he jumps from the bushes of quiet ice as an option and waste any time letting it fly. There is lots toile about his developing game. Committed to Miami of Ohio.” – Bill Placzek – Lines.com

“I would call myself a 200-foot center that plays with a lot of tenacity and work ethic who isn’t afraid to get pucks in corners and work to get whatever I can out of a play.” – Red Savage – 2021 BioSteel All-American Game post-practice Media Availability

Strengths

  • Hockey IQ
  • Defensive Awareness
  • Faceoff
  • Tenacity

Under Construction (Improvements to Make)

  • Passing
  • Vision

NHL Potential

Savage has the ability to evolve into a top-six center. He would need quite a bit of development in order to achieve that but his resume shows he can work hard. It is more likely you will see Savage as a bottom-six forward and penalty killer.

Risk-Reward Anlysis

Risk – 4/5, Reward – 2/5

Fantasy Hockey Potential

Offence – 5/10, Defence – 8/10

Awards/Achievements

  • 2017-2018 HPHL 14U Champion
  • 2018-2019 HPHL 16U Champion
  • 2019-2020 U17 WHC Silver Medal

Red Savage Statistics

Videos