Confirmed Trade: [BUF/EDM] Ryan McLeod and Tyler Tullio for Matt Savoie

[TommyDangles]

Look I have no dog in this fight, but Sabres fans bragging that McLeod has been a good middle-6 center for them after they traded Savoie for him and as they're the 4th worst team in hockey seems a little tone deaf to me.

I mean you can just take a look at the thread. The trade was an absolute "fleece". Savoie was a Mercedes and McLeod was a bicycle. Oilers fans posting clips of McLeod turning the puck over. Jeff Jackson was GM of the year. Some said McLeod would be lucky to have 30+ points on the Sabres. Jeff Skinner was going to light it up with McDavid.

Sabres fans don't have much right now, but we can laugh at how completely wrong some of the posters here were.

 

[Scintillating10]

Oilers made some bad deals. Was Bowman in charge when St.Lpuis offer sheets went down.

 

[LTIR]

I mean you can just take a look at the thread. The trade was an absolute "fleece". Savoie was a Mercedes and McLeod was a bicycle. Oilers fans posting clips of McLeod turning the puck over. Jeff Jackson was GM of the year. Some said McLeod would be lucky to have 30+ points on the Sabres. Jeff Skinner was going to light it up with McDavid.

Sabres fans don't have much right now, but we can laugh at how completely wrong some of the posters here were.

Most of these seemed like very logical guesses without hindsight. Oilers would have given up McLeod for a 3rd round pick to free up the cap space. If an Oil fan posted McLeod for Savoie or Quinn or Peterka proposals on these boards they would have been laughed at for sure.

J. Skinner for McLeod was a big step up on paper. Hasn't materialized yet but Skinner seems to be picking it up lately and doesn't look like an AHLer anymore.

 

[tnnr]

Oilers did good in terms of value when they had to move out money, However, I think McLeod will have a long sucessfull NHL career. Not the biggest fan of Savoie.. don't think he will be a good NHLer.

Tough offseason for the Oilers.. Holloway looks like an absolute animal for STL as well.

 

[GirardSpinorama]

Most of these seemed like very logical guesses without hindsight. Oilers would have given up McLeod for a 3rd round pick to free up the cap space. If an Oil fan posted McLeod for Savoie or Quinn or Peterka proposals on these boards they would have been laughed at for sure.

J. Skinner for McLeod was a big step up on paper. Hasn't materialized yet but Skinner seems to be picking it up lately and doesn't look like an AHLer anymore.

Just shows your GM needs to not do trades based on NHL25 simulations or even worse, take opinions from hfboards.

 

[Chainshot]

Just shows your GM needs to not do trades based on NHL25 simulations or even worse, take opinions from hfboards.

Trade assessment is rarely ever stagnant. I'm sure there will be a shift if McLeod starts shooting his average again or if Savoie arrives as the cost-controlled winger he projects to be, which will swing things back toward the Oilers. It's possible both teams got what they wanted out of this. It's also still possible to wind up as a blunder for one or the other. Or even both.

 

[CycloneSweep]

Trade assessment is rarely ever stagnant. I'm sure there will be a shift if McLeod starts shooting his average again or if Savoie arrives as the cost-controlled winger he projects to be, which will swing things back toward the Oilers. It's possible both teams got what they wanted out of this. It's also still possible to wind up as a blunder for one or the other. Or even both.

It’s true. Right now it’s a win for Buffalo because they have a useful player. That could shift if Savoie becomes a legit player. And that could shift again if the Oilers then lose Savoie to an offersheet and get a 3rd in return.

 

[BoHorvat 53]

Oilers did good in terms of value when they had to move out money, However, I think McLeod will have a long sucessfull NHL career. Not the biggest fan of Savoie.. don't think he will be a good NHLer.

Tough offseason for the Oilers.. Holloway looks like an absolute animal for STL as well.

Savoie for his 1st season in the AHL is tracking the way you'd expect a kid of his draft pedigree/age to do, especially if they hope to be a top-6 player one day, while losing McLeod sucks for the Oilers, having Savoie in the pipeline is still a very good thing, he's easily their best prospect.

 

[majormajor]

I agree with what you say, but it all comes down to playoffs at the end of the day. Mcleod really struggled when the going got tough, especially in the cup final.

It's great to play well when your shooting percentage is 22% on a Sabres team that is miles away from contention and has been for a while. Different thing to do it in the playoffs when there is no space, the whistles are away and the pressure is on.

I think trading him after his poor playoffs was an overreaction. McLeod was an important player for the Oilers a lot of times, he was a big reason they could push play forward even with the stars on the bench. It's true that he didn't score much but he was getting pucks to the right areas of the rink, and they really miss that. They're painfully slow now. The team without Mcleod, Holloway, and Foegele is dramatically slower. And McLeod would have been the easiest player of that group to keep at least through this year at only $2.1m.

I would have kept him to see what he did in this playoffs with a little more experience.

 

[Fatass]

I think trading him after his poor playoffs was an overreaction. McLeod was an important player for the Oilers a lot of times, he was a big reason they could push play forward even with the stars on the bench. It's true that he didn't score much but he was getting pucks to the right areas of the rink, and they really miss that. They're painfully slow now. The team without Mcleod, Holloway, and Foegele is dramatically slower. And McLeod would have been the easiest player of that group to keep at least through this year at only $2.1m.

I would have kept him to see what he did in this playoffs with a little more experience.

I wonder how McDavid feels about the step backwards his team took last summer, losing McLeod, and the two other young guys to St. Louis? McDavid wants to win now. McLeod was traded for a rookie who isn’t contributing at the nhl level. Tjats definitely not helping McDavid win?

 

[majormajor]

I wonder how McDavid feels about the step backwards his team took last summer, losing McLeod, and the two other young guys to St. Louis? McDavid wants to win now. McLeod was traded for a rookie who isn’t contributing at the nhl level. Tjats definitely not helping McDavid win?

McDavid is one of the big decision makers in Edmonton, so I can't say what he feels about it without knowing what he recommended to the team in the first place.

But generally guys like him and Draisaitl and Mackinnon and the other elites in the league, they don't want a team with a lot of young guys who have lessons to learn. They would rather go into the playoffs surrounded by Corey Perrys and Patrick Maroons. So it wouldn't surprise me if McDavid actually supported the McLeod trade.

 

[archangel2]

Not a fan of small players. But the oilers had to move Mcleod due to cap reasons

 

[Fatass]

McDavid is one of the big decision makers in Edmonton, so I can't say what he feels about it without knowing what he recommended to the team in the first place.

But generally guys like him and Draisaitl and Mackinnon and the other elites in the league, they don't want a team with a lot of young guys who have lessons to learn. They would rather go into the playoffs surrounded by Corey Perrys and Patrick Maroons. So it wouldn't surprise me if McDavid actually supported the McLeod trade.

Like you suggest, the star players have some say in the shape of their team. They define their careers by Cups. Imo there’s zero chance McDavid would prefer an AHL player (Savoie) to McLeod. McDavid wants to win the Cup ahead of everything and that trade was a head shaker for sure.

 

[TFHockey]

Like you suggest, the star players have some say in the shape of their team. They define their careers by Cups. Imo there’s zero chance McDavid would prefer an AHL player (Savoie) to McLeod. McDavid wants to win the Cup ahead of everything and that trade was a head shaker for sure.

I wonder how McDavid feels about the step backwards his team took last summer, losing McLeod, and the two other young guys to St. Louis? McDavid wants to win now. McLeod was traded for a rookie who isn’t contributing at the nhl level. Tjats definitely not helping McDavid win?

McDavid is one of the big decision makers in Edmonton, so I can't say what he feels about it without knowing what he recommended to the team in the first place.

But generally guys like him and Draisaitl and Mackinnon and the other elites in the league, they don't want a team with a lot of young guys who have lessons to learn. They would rather go into the playoffs surrounded by Corey Perrys and Patrick Maroons. So it wouldn't surprise me if McDavid actually supported the McLeod trade.

By accounts from local pundits, McDavid was pissed off at Holloway the last time they played against one another. The implication, after Holloway tried to say hello to McDavid and was angrily rebuffed, is that McDavid is ticked anyone would leave the team for more money when they were so close last year.

It isn't a stretch to think Mcdavid might be pissed off at trading away NHL talent for a prospect considering where the Oilers *should* be at Cup-wise.

 

[Regal]

By accounts from local pundits, McDavid was pissed off at Holloway the last time they played against one another. The implication, after Holloway tried to say hello to McDavid and was angrily rebuffed, is that McDavid is ticked anyone would leave the team for more money when they were so close last year.

It isn't a stretch to think Mcdavid might be pissed off at trading away NHL talent for a prospect considering where the Oilers *should* be at Cup-wise.

What a baby if true.

 

[Mattilaus]

By accounts from local pundits, McDavid was pissed off at Holloway the last time they played against one another. The implication, after Holloway tried to say hello to McDavid and was angrily rebuffed, is that McDavid is ticked anyone would leave the team for more money when they were so close last year.

Easy for him to say when he already has his bag.

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

By accounts from local pundits, McDavid was pissed off at Holloway the last time they played against one another. The implication, after Holloway tried to say hello to McDavid and was angrily rebuffed, is that McDavid is ticked anyone would leave the team for more money when they were so close last year.

It isn't a stretch to think Mcdavid might be pissed off at trading away NHL talent for a prospect considering where the Oilers *should* be at Cup-wise.

This would be embarrassing of McDavid if true. Difficult to believe. Players understand the business.

 

[Shonky]

Easy for him to say when he already has his bag.

His own former agent Jeff Jackson didn't prioritize Holloway or Broberg and used the money on Arvidsson and Skinner. If that story is true McDavid is a tool

 

[Muffin]

Not a fan of small players. But the oilers had to move Mcleod due to cap reasons

If your "cap reasons" are Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner you ****ed up

 

[Dubi Doo]

This.

McLoed isn't a player you want on a contender, however on a team with no playoff hopes and no pressure when games are hard to get up for, you tend to like the guys who show up every night and give it their all. I remember 2007-2015 very well, Fans need players like this on teams like Buffalo.

This seems like hyperbole. McLeod is a fine top-9 player. I'm sure people said the same thing about Phil Kessel. McLeod is also just entering his prime. There may be another level to his game.

 

[majormajor]

Not a fan of small players. But the oilers had to move Mcleod due to cap reasons

Not true - McLeod is making $2.1m this year. The Oilers are paying a combined $10m to Arvidsson, Henrique, and Jeff Skinner. They simply made bad choices.

 

[KrakenSabresMike]

This seems like hyperbole. McLeod is a fine top-9 player. I'm sure people said the same thing about Phil Kessel. McLeod is also just entering his prime. There may be another level to his game.

The sentiment that McLeod is not someone you want on a contender is based on the false notion that in order to be a good to great third line center you need to be a bruiser and a physical player. Speed, quality of play metrics, defensive intelligence, these are the things that he is excelling ant and causing him to have more points and effectiveness in Buffalo. When you release yourself from the prison of having an old school limited idea of 3 line center in mind, you see that his value is actually quite high in his role.

Let other guys be the bruisers who are better at that and this guy do what he does best and you will reap the benefits. Buffalo is not good as a team, but they have been good at this for this player and are reaping the benefits l.

 

[barry halls]

Didn’t like this trade when it happened and like it less now. McLeod was a very rare example of an Oilers pick drafted outside of the 1st round that actually developed into a legit NHL player. Fans wanting to run him out of town for being soft in the playoffs brings to mind the fans who wanted Eberle gone after the 2017 playoffs, only to end up wishing we could find a winger like Eberle ever since then.

I’d be very comfortable betting that McLeod plays at least 200 more NHL games than Savoie over the course of their careers. I see Savoie petering out of the league after a couple years like Yamo did.

 

[archangel2]

Not true - McLeod is making $2.1m this year. The Oilers are paying a combined $10m to Arvidsson, Henrique, and Jeff Skinner. They simply made bad choices.

Those bad decision put them at the cap and this guys contract put them over.

 

[archangel2]

If your "cap reasons" are Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner you ****ed up

They did not have

If your "cap reasons" are Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner you ****ed up

After July 5th they no longer had cap space for him and had to move.