Back in July of 2024, the Edmonton Oilers made a key swap with the Buffalo Sabres. The Oilers traded forwards Ryan McLeod and Tyler Tullio in exchange for forward Matthew Savoie. This trade came at a totally unexpected time. There were not really any rumours going around, and Savoie was a top prospect for Buffalo. At the time of the trade, this seemed to be an easy win for the Oilers.
However, this trade has actually been a great trade for both teams. Let’s take a look at how this trade has impacted the Sabres and the Oilers.
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McLeod breaks out in Buffalo
The Oilers drafted McLeod in the second round of the 2018 NHL Draft. He always had NHL potential with a ceiling of a second-line player. During his time in Edmonton, he was a part of some high-level teams. At most, he got third-line ice time with some penalty kill responsibilities. He was a member of the legendary Oiler team that nearly took down the Florida Panthers in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final. However, in the offseason, the Oilers decided to bolster their roster with a young prospect.
McLeod entered a Sabres team that was seriously struggling. Going into the 2024–25 season, there were no high expectations for the Sabres. This ended up being a solid season for many players on the Sabres. Tage Thompson, JJ Peterka, Rasmus Dahlin, and Alex Tuch all had over 65-point seasons. With these players leading the charge, McLeod was the perfect secondary player for Buffalo. His first season was phenomenal. Through seventy nine games, McLeod scored a career high of twenty goals and fifty-three points.
This excellent showing has reoccurred throughout 2025–26. The Sabres currently sit at the top of the Atlantic Division and are on pace to finally make the playoffs. They have not made the playoffs since 2011, with 14 consecutive seasons without playoff hockey. Finally, the Sabres are back on track to do some serious damage. Mcleod currently has 12 goals and 49 points this year, on pace to break his career high in points.
In the beginning, this did not seem like a great trade for Buffalo, but it grew into what they exactly needed. A perfect second-line centre.
Matthew Savoie serves as the Oilers top prospect
When this trade went through, Savoie instantly became the Oilers top prospect. It was not until the Oilers acquired Isaac Howard a year later that gave him any kind of competition. Now, both of them are the future forwards of Oil Country. Savoie began in the AHL with the Bakersfield Condors. Here, he torched the league in 2024–25, posting 19 goals and 54 points in his first full AHL season. This was good enough to earn him an NHL spot the following season.
This year, Savoie has been a full-time NHLer. He has appeared in all 70 of the Oilers games, posting 11 goals and 28 points. The young 22-year-old has played all up and down in the lineup. With the recent injury to superstar Leon Draisaitl, Savoie got a much deserved promotion. Savoie has gotten to play on the first line with Connor McDavid. They had some good looks against the Florida Panthers, but could not capitalize on their chances.
It will be interesting to see what kind of role Savoie gets in the playoffs. Draisaitl will hopefully be set to return by that time, so Savoie’s role will likely be diminished. The future for Savoie in Edmonton is likely a consistent top-six role. This trade was a great one from the moment it went through for the Oilers, and Savoie is showing plenty of potential early on.
Both teams push for the playoffs
At the current moment, both the Oilers and Sabres are set to make the playoffs. The Oilers are trying to make the Stanley Cup Final for the third straight year, while the Sabres will just be happy to finally make it. Buffalo sits at the top of the Atlantic Division, fighting with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Meanwhile, the Oilers could have taken over first place in the Pacific Division if they had won against the Panthers.
After a convincing 5–0 win against the San Jose Sharks, the Sabres really seem to have a great chance at winning their division. This would set them up to face one of the wild card teams. On the other hand, the Oilers have come off a 4–0 loss against the Panthers, providing a serious blow to their race for the Pacific Division crown. Now, the Oilers have two more games played than the Anaheim Ducks, who currently hold the division lead.
Both of these teams have seriously benefited from the McLeod-Savoie trade, and both players are making an impact. In the short-term view, this trade has worked out perfectly. In July, McLeod signed a four-year extension with the Sabres with an annual salary of $5M. This is a great value deal in today’s NHL. It questions what a player like Savoie will get in a couple of years.
Who do you think won this trade?
