McLEOD MOVED TO THE SABRES
The Buffalo Sabres acquired forwards Ryan McLeod and Ty Tullio from the Edmonton Oilers for forward Matt Savoie.
What does it give the Buffalo Sabres
From a Sabres perspective, it is easy to see why they targeted McLeod. He is a defensively responsible player who set career highs offensively in 2023-24. His stellar underlying defensive numbers combined with his speed make him a great fit as their third-line center. The part of this deal that is hard to understand is the acquisition cost. Yes the Sabres have a deep prospect pool of forwards, but it could be argued that Savoie had the highest offensive potential of the group. So, why trade him for a third line center and a marginal prospect? This trade has the potential to burn Buffalo in the long term.
What does it give the Edmonton Oilers
This trade looks like a steal for the Oilers. More likely than not, they got the best player in this deal and also shed some salary cap space–which gets them closer to being cap-compliant this off-season. The Oilers already have a McLeod replacement after re-signing veteran Adam Henrique on July 1, and now they also have the chance to add a former top-10 overall pick to their lineup, as well. Savoie is an offensive wizard who could become a scary complement to the Oilers' other offensive dynamos up front. Since Savoie can play any forward position, he stands a pretty good chance of contributing this upcoming season.
Fantasy impact
McLeod's ceiling in Buffalo seems to be that of a third-line forward. This could hurt his fantasy impact, as he was able to pad his stats a little bit while playing alongside Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl at times in Edmonton. For Savoie, his long-term fantasy potential gets a major boost. He could be playing alongside McDavid or Draisaitl within the next couple of seasons. The intriguing part for Savoie and fantasy managers who want to roster him is whether he stays with the Oilers for most of 2024-25, or whether he plays mainly in the AHL. Tullio is a decent prospect, but his chances of cracking the NHL may have gotten worse with the move to Buffalo, whose prospect pool is much deeper than Edmonton's.
