He lead the WHL in points per game. Calling him the 4th best player is just being obtuse.
Only about a 100 other players in the history of the league have had over 2 points per game average like Savoie did.
And only 8 players have scored 2ppg in the WHL since the year 2000. Now, this doesn't mean he'll be a star. About half of those players are currently stars or tracking to be stars or 1st line players, with the others mostly good top 6 NHLers. The only exception is Heponiemi.
1. Connor Bedard 2.51 (2022-23) - tracking to be a franchise player
2. Mike Comrie 2.14 (2000-01) - 1st/2nd line forward, 2 30-goal seasons
3. Matthew Savoie 2.09 (2023-24) - TBD
4. Aleksi Heponiemi 2.07 (2017-18) - Struggled with transition to pro, never put on weight/strength (155lbs), currently looking like a career Euro league player
5. Logan Stankoven 2.02 (2022-23) - Excellent AHL showing last year followed by an excellent NHL regular season and playoff showing. Tracking to be a top 6 player.
6. Jagger Firkus 2.00 (2023-24) - TBD
7. Oliver Bjorkstrand 2.00 (2014-15) - 2nd line player
8. Dylan Guenther (maybe shouldn't have included because 12 GP), 2.00 (2020-21) - tracking to be a 1st line player.
So it would seem it's more likely than not on production alone that Savoie will become a top 6 NHLer.
I was actually against trading Ryan McLeod previously but that is because I thought the most any team would trade for him is a 2nd rounder. I didn't think he could get any worthwhile return. For a recent top 10 pick, I would have driven McLeod to the airport. He's a pretty easily replaceable player for what he brings, it's not worth giving up any quality assets for that kind of player. I am trying to think of any other time a recent top 10 pick has been traded for that level of player.
The last time is Forsberg for Erat, but the dynamics of that trade were drastically different because Erat was 32 years old and McLeod 24 years old, but Erat did have a higher offensive pedigree prior to that trade. He just happened to fall off a cliff after the trade which is unlikely to happen with McLeod.