Oilers trade Ryan McLeod and Ty Tullio to Buffalo for Matt Savoie

[Jiri Hrdina]

I don't think highly of Savoie as I don't think his offense will translate. But that's a low acquisition move for the Oilers.

I don't get Buffalo at all. They draft so many forwards of the same type. Over and over and over.

[FlamesAddiction]

Tullio is a complete non factor and unlikely to be a an NHL player. I look at it as Savoie for McLeod straight up.

Absolutely ridiculous. It's hard to imagine Buffalo shopped Savoie around because I am sure they could have got a better return, so it must have been a case of Buffalo wanting big NHL ready center and coveted McLeod.

Hard not to like this if you are the Oilers. They just cleared $2.1 million in cap space, minus the cost of whomever replaces him on the roster (likely an ELC or player close to league minimum). Probably a net cap savings of ~$1 million and they received a really good prospect as well.

[monkeyman]

I don't know much about Savoie, but I like McLeods game. big, fast, shows some flashes of skill.

[looooob]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

Tullio is a complete non factor and unlikely to be a an NHL player. I look at it as Savoie for McLeod straight up.

Absolutely ridiculous. It's hard to imagine Buffalo shopped Savoie around because I am sure they could have got a better return, so it must have been a case of Buffalo wanting big NHL ready center and coveted McLeod.

Hard not to like this if you are the Oilers. They just cleared $2.1 million in cap space, minus the cost of whomever replaces him on the roster (likely an ELC or player close to league minimum). Probably a net cap savings of ~$1 million and they received a really good prospect as well.

the key is no-one replaces him, they remain over the cap with Holloway and Broberg unsigned (for sure we still don't know the short term LTIR Kane plans)


remarkably the average age of their NHL forwards continues to rise, now at 31.2


Draisaitl and McDavid are their only signed NHL forwards under 30

[#-3]

This is why cap space is so hard to weaponize, a team backs themselves into a corner, then some moron pays them perfectly good assets to get $1.2M in case space.

[Ped]

Said it before, will say it again. Savoie is a great prospect, but he's just that. McLeod is a hell of a 3rd line center and one of the faster players in the league. I don't think it's an even trade, but I think if McLeod was coming from say, Chicago, it would be viewed a lot more evenly.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Flamesfan05

One of the best? I knew you are a secret Oilers fan all along lol

One of THEIR best

Read bud

[RedHawk12]

Originally Posted by looooob

the key is no-one replaces him, they remain over the cap with Holloway and Broberg unsigned (for sure we still don't know the short term LTIR Kane plans)


remarkably the average age of their NHL forwards continues to rise, now at 31.2


Draisaitl and McDavid are their only signed NHL forwards under 30

Henrique will replace McLeod fairly easily. Let's be honest, we're talking about Ryan fricken McLeod here. He was garbage when he played for the Oilers and will continue to be garbage with Buffalo. To trade a 4th line center for a prospect with top-6 offensive upside is a steal for Edmonton. Let's not pretend like McLeod was the key kog in the greatest penalty-killing team in history. They went on a penalty killing hot streak for 2 months, that's it. Now they get to flip one of their scrubs for a legitimate prospect with actual upside while clearing them the cap space to at least sign Holloway? Brutal by Buffalo.

[jayswin]

34 games

[Whynotnow]

Originally Posted by Ped

Said it before, will say it again. Savoie is a great prospect, but he's just that. McLeod is a hell of a 3rd line center and one of the faster players in the league. I don't think it's an even trade, but I think if McLeod was coming from say, Chicago, it would be viewed a lot more evenly.

A concern with McLeod was he was soft as a butter on a team that was already too soft. His speed got him places but the amount of times he just turned away from contact was shocking. Good guy, sad to see him go but overall the oilers had to move on.

[looooob]

Originally Posted by RedHawk12

Henrique will replace McLeod fairly easily. Let's be honest, we're talking about Ryan fricken McLeod here. He was garbage when he played for the Oilers and will continue to be garbage with Buffalo. To trade a 4th line center for a prospect with top-6 offensive upside is a steal for Edmonton. Let's not pretend like McLeod was the key kog in the greatest penalty-killing team in history. They went on a penalty killing hot streak for 2 months, that's it. Now they get to flip one of their scrubs for a legitimate prospect with actual upside while clearing them the cap space to at least sign Holloway? Brutal by Buffalo.

that wasn't my point. I didn't mean to imply McLeod is or isn't replaceable or good


the post I was responding to was that the McLeod cap savings was his cap hit less whomever was replacing him (Henrique already accounted for) and my point was simply that the Oilers are trying to remove a roster player and cap hit- not 'replace' McLeod from the current roster. its a pure cap savings (not arguing one way or another whether its a good hockey trade too)

[CalgaryFan1988]

Originally Posted by looooob

that wasn't my point. I didn't mean to imply McLeod is or isn't replaceable or good


the post I was responding to was that the McLeod cap savings was his cap hit less whomever was replacing him (Henrique already accounted for) and my point was simply that the Oilers are trying to remove a roster player and cap hit- not 'replace' McLeod from the current roster. its a pure cap savings (not arguing one way or another whether its a good hockey trade too)

Savoie may turn into an NHLer or be another Matthew Phillips but, like you say, the Oilers did well just as a pure salary dump for a player they didn't even need.

[dino7c]

We will find out if they need him...2 way players are important

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by dino7c

We will find out if they need him...2 way players are important

True.

So are players who aren't two steps away from their pension. With Holloway not under contract, McLeod was the only forward on their roster under 27.

Apropos of nothing, you want the short explanation of why the Oilers were better defensively last season than in previous years? They built their team with UFAs. Fourteen of the 21 players now listed on their NHL roster were signed as free agents, and every one of those players is over 30. That means they had plenty of time to learn the defensive game with other teams, and weren't ruined by the Oilers' development system.

[Ped]

Took a look at HF (I know) and most Sabres fans seem okay with the trade.

[CalgaryFan1988]

Originally Posted by dino7c

We will find out if they need him...2 way players are important

How exactly are we going to judge that? McLeod doesn't exactly tip a scale any which way, he's just there. Anything short of a cup win and it's because they traded McLeod?

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by CalgaryFan1988

How exactly are we going to judge that? McLeod doesn't exactly tip a scale any which way, he's just there. Anything short of a cup win and it's because they traded McLeod?

If McLeod develops into more than a third-liner in Buffalo, we can judge by that. If the Oilers can't ice a starting lineup without calling up scrubs from Bakersfield, we can judge by that. If they end up scrambling for NHL players in a year or two because they filled the whole team with geezers, we can judge by that, too.

It's not all about playoff results in one single season, though I know that is the only way some fans can measure a team.

[CalgaryFan1988]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

If McLeod develops into more than a third-liner in Buffalo, we can judge by that. If the Oilers can't ice a starting lineup without calling up scrubs from Bakersfield, we can judge by that. If they end up scrambling for NHL players in a year or two because they filled the whole team with geezers, we can judge by that, too.

It's not all about playoff results in one single season, though I know that is the only way some fans can measure a team.

They are closer to being able to ice an NHL team today than they were yesterday, but I guess some fans don't think about those things.

[cral12]

why Buffalo continues to be the Light Sabres...

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by CalgaryFan1988

They are closer to being able to ice an NHL team today than they were yesterday, but I guess some fans don't think about those things.

They're still above the cap and have one player fewer to make up their roster. That doesn't move them closer in any meaningful way. More moves will have to be made.