Sabres shockingly trade former top-10 pick to Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers remain in win-now mode after falling excruciatingly short of the Stanley Cup, but they are also building for their long-term future this offseason. The kings of the West just made a big deal with a franchise that has been looking ahead for far too long.

The Buffalo Sabres are trading highly touted prospect Matthew Savoie for Ryan McLeod and Tyler Tullio, according to insider Elliotte Friedman. Savoie, the No. 9 overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, is still raw but has the potential to be a game-breaking forward in this league once he finds his footing.

Many Sabres fans are surely in distress over the possibility of losing such a talent, as they try their best to remain patient and sane after seeing their team miss the playoffs for a 13th consecutive year. McLeod tallied 30 points in 81 regular season games for the Oilers and added three goals in the Stanley Cup Final versus the Florida Panthers.

Clearly, his ability to thrive in the clutch and in penalty kill situations impressed Buffalo general manager Kevyn Adams. The 24-year-old’s big-game experience with Edmonton could be a key boost to his new squad. Tullio is making his way through the AHL and could soon crack the NHL roster. But are these two forwards worth parting with one who could have possibly become a franchise pillar for the Sabres?

Although it will take some time to learn the answer to that question, Buffalo must quickly figure out how to return to the postseason, otherwise the dejection filling the KeyBank Center and city will rise to unfathomable levels. But one cannot just gloss over the risk that the Oilers are taking by swapping out a current contributor for someone with only eight AHL games under their belt.

The Oilers are banking on their core group to keep them in contention

While Ryan McLeod definitely played a key role in Edmonton’s run through the Western Conference, head coach Kris Knoblauch still has multiple high-end players he can lean on next season. Assuming that 2019-20 Hart Trophy winner Leon Draisaitl signs a new contract in the next year, the Oilers should have another decent chance at the Cup in 2024-25.

Hence, why CEO of hockey operations Jeff Jackson is opting to sacrifice a spot on the ice for the 20-year-old Matthew Savoie. It can be risky to prioritize the future, especially since the West just got even deeper following the Nashville Predators’ shopping spree, but the Alberta, Canada native is oozing with promise.

If he can overcome the size concerns (5-foot-9), then this offense could be even more high-powered in a couple of years. Connor McDavid, the consensus best player in the sport today, is still only 27 years old, so surrounding him with another speedster like Savoie could give opponents a perpetual migraine.

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