Confirmed with Link: Ryan McLeod & Ty Tullio traded to Buffalo for Matthew Savoie

[HogtownSabresfan]

Whats any of this got to do with the trade

McLeod has great value at $2.1 million. That's just part of the reality.

 

[old kummelweck]

Oilers fans seem extremely happy about this deal. Thatttt doesn't make me feel great

They seem to think he'll be their 3C. I personally think he wont make that roster and needs a year in the AHL - but we'll see. I also do not think they have any players of this caliber in their system right now. The sabres have 5 or 6. Their team has been much more successful, so they have not be drafting in the sweet zone like the sabres have.

 

[Deevo]

Overpay? Sure, from Edmonton's perspective they got their new top.prospect for a guy that was a healthy scratch a few times in the playoffs. But Savoie was superfluous in Buffalo. A year away from maybe making the roster and contributing as a 3rd line player. I'm really ok with Kev losing a few trades to bolster the roster. Hell, I've been begging for it. But, imo, the team is still far too dependant on Tage and Dylan shooting 15% to score. I'm legitimately curious where the goals.are going to come from.

They're betting big on Quinn..

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

They filled an important hole on the NHL roster. Hard to complain even with the (perceived) steep cost of acquisition.

They're going to roll out the most effective bottom-six they've had in years. Lindy is going to love the additions there.

Kind of reminds me of their trade for Hecht all those years ago.

If he turns into Hecht, I would be happier than anything. That is the type of guy they desperately need. Just wonder what justifies you saying that.

 

[Asymmetric Solution]

McLeod isn't here to score. It's not EA where you roll Crosby - Malkin - MacKinnon - Barkov as your 4Cs

Oh, wasn’t sure how EA worked as I don’t play video games. Thanks for filling me in though. Certainly wouldn’t want an elite talent playing down some lines when you can fill it with a career 20 point per year guy.

 

[TheMistyStranger]

So the plan all along was to suck and draft players highly, just so we can trade them for depth forwards.

Hyperbole. Look at the Sabres roster. Where are you fitting Savoie, Kulich, Ostlund, Rosen, and Helenius? How about Wahlberg?

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

We’ve earned it. It’s easy to argue that it’s bad asset management. I’d agree with that. But given where we are and where we need to go, I’m glad Adams was willing to pull the trigger on a trade like this.

Not much else to say about this one. Agreed 100%.

 

[Deevo]

Browsing Oilers forums/reddit - they seem to view McLeod as better on the wing and were frustrated by their coaching staff forcing him at center. That seems bad doesn't it?

 

[TheMistyStranger]

Oh, wasn’t sure how EA worked as I don’t play video games. Thanks for filling me in though. Certainly wouldn’t want an elite talent playing down some lines when you can fill it with a career 20 point per year guy.

You know what, you're right. No one ever won anything by having a solid defense.

 

[joshjull]

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

RE: McLeod.

He's one of the fastest players in the NHL. Almost indistinguishable from McDavid without the puck at top speed. He's an excellent PKer and gets strong EV results from deep in the roster, but struggles with offensive consistency. Wouldn't make too much out of his scratch in the playoffs. He got back in and scored 3 goals in the 7 game series against the Panthers.

He's a solid middle-six winger and a decent 3/4 centre. At 24 going on 25, with 200 games, there's room to grow.

How is he with puck battles and board play?

 

[Gras]

Oh, wasn’t sure how EA worked as I don’t play video games. Thanks for filling me in though. Certainly wouldn’t want an elite talent playing down some lines when you can fill it with a career 20 point per year guy.

Theres more to players than just points

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

I just can’t rationalize It when we’re trading top 10 draft picks that have outperformed their draft stock for non-impact players.

Players like McLeod get moved all the time for much less.

That's the issue

 

[joshjull]

 

[HaNotsri]

We gave up a better prospect than ROR, Eichel and Reinhart returned.
I'm ok with trading Savoie but I hoped for a better player, would have been ok with adding our 2025 1st+ to get someone that can challenge for a top 6 spot.

 

[SundherDome]

So this basically boils down to -

Mitts and Savoie out

Byram and McLeod in (and Tullio)

I'd rather have the first option and have KA throw money or a trade package at a better fitting D-man, but having dug the hole after the Byram trade I can't blame him for overpaying a bit for McLeod.

I'm not too bothered by losing Savoie because as talented as he might be, he's had shoulder issues and probably wouldn't be the type of player to contend well with a playoff caliber forecheck and physicality. OTOH, I like McLeod as a 3C but it's a major concern that he plays soft. So it's a potentially soft but talented W prospect for a lesser skilled and soft but fast defensive C.

It's a slightly unfortunate ending to a problem KA brought on himself, but I'm much happier with McLeod taking 3C than Krebs, so it's a consolation prize for a TDL move that I hated. Can't cry over it, something had to be done.

I think the above amplifies the issue and why we are where we are today.

A dman like Byram would be incredibly difficult to acquire for us. A top pairing dman who can run a pp and be a stout defender, who is also young and signed for this year then RFA with no trade protections is hard to pass up.

Mitts was one of my favorite prospects before he was drafted and I was elated when he fell to us. That said he had a role and could move up the lineup if needed to add creativity and he was okay defensively. He had a unique value to Colorado. Under Ruff it seems they want a more defensive oriented 3c than what Mitts could have provided. I don't think fans should expect McLeod to be banging bodies but that is what Greenway is suited for. McLeod will be used as a defensive chess piece with his speed and play disruption and he has some offense to his game, maybe it improves a little here and he is a 40 pt guy.

Savoie is a top prospect, no doubts about it, but the shoulder injuries probably had some pause of concern. They could potentially be a non-issue or they could lead to a Josh Norris type situation. I hope he excels to be honest, loved Savoie as a prospect.

It honestly seems like Adams may have been working with Mitts and Colorado came and said, Fine, take Bowen and that set the wheels in motion.

 

[Ace]

Maybe part of why I’m not bothered by the cost is that I genuinely didn’t see how Savoie was getting in the lineup here. Kulich passed him. He’s their guy at wing. Whatever spot opens up in the near future is his. Benson already took the one Savoie was penciled in for in the future. For good. So maybe he’s an undersized center instead? But…we just drafted Helenius who actually does that. And Ostlund before him. So I guess third line wing? But I like the dynamic Wahlberg brings in that spot because it’s different.

Yeah we’d all prefer Rosen go instead I guess. But Rosen is awfully slept on for a smart fast skilled player who has learned to play against men and stay healthy doing it.

 

[joshjull]

I’m assuming this is based on that acceleration data. At least I think thats what it’s called.

So this basically boils down to -

Mitts and Savoie out

Byram and McLeod in (and Tullio)

I'd rather have the first option and have KA throw money or a trade package at a better fitting D-man, but having dug the hole after the Byram trade I can't blame him for overpaying a bit for McLeod.

I'm not too bothered by losing Savoie because as talented as he might be, he's had shoulder issues and probably wouldn't be the type of player to contend well with a playoff caliber forecheck and physicality. OTOH, I like McLeod as a 3C but it's a major concern that he plays soft. So it's a potentially soft but talented W prospect for a lesser skilled and soft but fast defensive C.

It's a slightly unfortunate ending to a problem KA brought on himself, but I'm much happier with McLeod taking 3C than Krebs, so it's a consolation prize for a TDL move that I hated. Can't cry over it, something had to be done.

Man alive does a lot hinge on how Byram works out.

 

[Asymmetric Solution]

You know what, you're right. No one ever won anything by having a solid defense.

Let’s bookmark right here and revisit this.

 

[SundherDome]

We gave up a better prospect than ROR, Eichel and Reinhart returned.
I'm ok with trading Savoie but I hoped for a better player, would have been ok with adding our 2025 1st+ to get someone that can challenge for a top 6 spot.

I really don't know about that. Tage has turned into a 1c, Ostlund is highly regarded, often in the same tier as Savoie and Levi has the potential to be a franchise goalie. Now all three players are better than McLeod, so that might hold some water.

 

[Ace]

The funny part of any argument about giving up future skill is that they still have too many future skill forwards to keep them all.

 

[SundherDome]

Buddy, I know you mean well but you don’t need all the extra fluff to make a strawman argument.

Again, I don't think it is straw man, I made an exaggeration tongue in cheek and didn't try to gaslight the exaggeration. It could be the last week of pure negativity spewing out of this board that got to me, who knows

 

[Dirty Dog]

Look if my team made this deal I'd probably try to justify it this way too. If you think that McLeod is truly a tough to play against 3C, I think it's worth wrestling with the question of (1) why would a team competing for the Stanley Cup scratch him, and (2) why would they move on from his 2.1m cap hit and cost-control if they're gearing up for another deep playoff run.

Point to the numbers if you like, but if McLeod were truly the player that you hope he is I think you know that those two things would not happen.

That’s Sabres fans lashing out? Or literally been posting those exact things the past week? In the trade forum we offering a first for McLeod. You can find 100s posts in the Sabres subforum the last week begging our gm to trade one of our middle six prospects for a 3C

And the Sabres just acquired three fourth line guys that hit and are tough to play against. We needed someone who can PK and play some defense

 

[HaNotsri]

Hyperbole. Look at the Sabres roster. Where are you fitting Savoie, Kulich, Ostlund, Rosen, and Helenius? How about Wahlberg?

Wahlberg is bottom 6, I doubt Rosén will make it in the NHL, Kulich will likely be a good 3rd liner and Helenius and Östlund are ideal middle 6 centers.
I think Savoie had the most upside of our prospects. We lack high end forwards.

 

[old kummelweck]

We gave up a better prospect than ROR, Eichel and Reinhart returned.
I'm ok with trading Savoie but I hoped for a better player, would have been ok with adding our 2025 1st+ to get someone that can challenge for a top 6 spot.

What? they got Tage Thompson for ROR, and EIchel was injured. Reinhardt was an UFA rental.

They got a player under contract and team control for 2 years. That 2 year magic number keeps coming up. They have a wave of guys that will need roster spots, so this still fits Adams MO.