The Edmonton Oilers are trading forward Ryan McLeod and Ty Tullio to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Matt Savoie, the teams announced Friday.

McLeod, 24, was a second-round selection for the Oilers at the 2018 NHL Draft and has played for the club since the 2020-21 season.

In 2023-24, the centreman recorded career-highs in games-played (82), goals (12), assists (18) and points (30). During the Oilers’ run to the Stanley Cup Final, McLeod scored four goals in 24 games. He is entering the final year of a two-year, $4.2 million contract.

Savoie, 20, was selected ninth-overall by the Sabres at the 2023 NHL Draft. Though he made his big-league debut last season, the centre spent the majority of the year playing in the WHL — first, for the Wenatchee Wild, then the Moose Jaw Warriors, where he made an appearance at the Memorial Cup as WHL champion.

Savoie had 71 points in 34 games (30 G, 41 A) in 2023-24 between the Wild and Warriors.

Tullio, 22, was taken in the fifth round of the 2020 NHL Draft by the Oilers, but has yet to suit up in an NHL game. For the Bakersfield Condors, the Oilers’ AHL affiliate, the right winger scored nine goals and 21 points in 54 games.

In a surprising move, the Edmonton Oilers have traded forward Ryan McLeod to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for highly-touted prospect Matt Savoie. The trade, which was announced earlier today, has sent shockwaves through the hockey world as fans and analysts alike try to make sense of the deal.

Ryan McLeod, a former second-round pick of the Oilers, has shown flashes of potential during his time in Edmonton. The 22-year-old center has put up solid numbers in the AHL and has even seen some time with the big club, but has yet to fully establish himself as a key contributor at the NHL level. With a logjam of forwards on the Oilers roster, it seems that McLeod became expendable in their eyes.

On the other hand, Matt Savoie is a highly-touted prospect who has been turning heads in the junior ranks. The 18-year-old center was selected first overall in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft and is seen as a future star in the making. Savoie has elite skill and hockey sense, and many believe he has the potential to be a franchise player for the Oilers in the years to come.

While it may seem like a risky move to trade away a young player like McLeod for a prospect like Savoie, the Oilers are clearly banking on Savoie’s potential to outweigh McLeod’s current production. With their sights set on building a championship-caliber team, Edmonton is willing to take a chance on Savoie and hope that he can develop into the player they believe he can be.

As for the Sabres, acquiring a player like McLeod gives them some much-needed depth at the center position. With Jack Eichel’s future in Buffalo uncertain, adding a young player like McLeod could help solidify their lineup for years to come. While losing Savoie is certainly a blow, the Sabres are hoping that McLeod can step in and make an immediate impact for their team.

Overall, this trade has the potential to shape both teams’ futures in significant ways. Only time will tell if the Oilers made the right move in trading McLeod for Savoie, but one thing is for certain – both teams are taking a gamble in hopes of improving their respective rosters.