3:33 PM: The Sabres organization confirmed the trade with Edmonton.
3:08 PM: According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, the Edmonton Oilers and Buffalo Sabres Ryan McLeod to the Northeast U.S. In a follow-up report, Friedman suggests the Oilers will acquire a promising forward. Matt Savoy More from the Sabres Tyler Tullio To Buffalo.
The Sabres are eager to improve their middle and bottom six this summer and are set to acquire McLeod, who is in the final year of his two-year, $4.2 million contract. With his blazing speed and high motor in the offensive zone, it would be hard to find a better fit for the Sabres' bottom six than McLeod. Over the past three years in south-central Alberta, McLeod has played in 209 games for the Oilers, recording 32 goals and 74 points while averaging 13 minutes, 43 seconds of ice time per game.
Outside of the hot stats, McLeod is an analytics dream player. He has averaged a CorsiFor% of 52.7% over his career and will boost the Sabres' possession game after finishing the 2023-24 season with a team average of 51.2% in that category. Per HockeyReference, McLeod has posted an E+/- of 20.3 over his career, indicating that he limits opponents' scoring ability when he's on the ice. The Sabres improved significantly in this department last season and McLeod will look to continue that effort and be an effective penalty killer.
Tullio will also be joining the Sabres organization and will likely start the year with the team's AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans. The Oilers selected Tullio with the 126th overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, and he has played the past two years with the Bakersfield Condors. Tullio has 22 goals and 47 points in 117 games with AHL Bakersfield and should play in a bottom-six role with the Americans.
Edmonton will likely have no complaints about the deal, as they acquired a promising player in Savoie. The young centre recently wrapped up his Western Hockey League career, two years after being selected ninth overall in the 2022 NHL Draft. Savoie spent the 2023-24 WHL season with the Wenatchee Wild and Moose Jaw Warriors, recording 30 goals and 71 points in just 34 games. Savoie continued to be an offensive force in the playoffs, recording 10 goals and 24 points in 19 postseason games for the Warriors, leading the team to the Memorial Cup semifinals.
Savoie made his professional debut with AHL Rochester last season, scoring two goals and five points in six games. It's fair to assume that Savoie will start the 2024-25 NHL season with the Condors, but he could be promoted and Connor McDavid or Leon DraiseitelRegardless of what path he takes, the Oilers will have a cost-effective option who can play immediately in the team's top six.
