Edmonton Oilers trade depth forward for former top ten pick
Moments ago, the Edmonton Oilers officially traded forward Ryan McLeod to the Buffalo Sabres.
According to Elliotte Friedman, the Oilers will be trading McLeod and prospect Ty Tullio in exchange for forward prospect Matthew Savoie, drafted 9th overall by the Sabres in just 2022.
Oilers trade Ryan McLeod to Buffalo Sabres for Matthew Savoie
On paper, this is an incredible move for the Edmonton Oilers. McLeod struggled greatly in this year's playoffs, playing too much on the perimeter and giving up too many turnovers. The Oilers clear his $2.1M in cap space with this trade to get a former top ten pick in Savoie in return - who has far more potential upside than McLeod. Tullio was a good physical prospect too, but likely will only become a bottom six forward.
Savoie returned to the WHL's Moose Jaw Warrior for the 2023-24 season at 20 years old, and was an offensive force that led his team to a championship. He scored 19 goals and 47 points in just 23 games, showing elite offensive upside. After playing his overage year in junior, he'll be making the jump to professional level in the AHL or NHL next season. He's signed to an entry level contract at $887K for the next three seasons, giving the Oilers some cap flexibility too. Savoie will instantly become the Oilers top prospect.
The Oilers clear significant cap space in this trade, but still need to offload another contract to make the team cap compliant by the beginning of next season. One other move is still coming from President Jeff Jackson, likely in the near future.
Source: Elliotte Friedman
Oilers trade McLeod to Buffalo
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Who won the trade: Oilers or Sabres? | ||
| Oilers | 437 | 83.4 % |
| Sabres | 61 | 11.6 % |
| See Results | 26 | 5 % |
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