The Sabres made a very risky move, parting ways with one of their former top prospects.
One of the Buffalo Sabres' top objectives for the 2024 NHL Offseason was to upgrade at the third-line center position. Last week, they did just that, acquiring Ryan McLeod from the Edmonton Oilers. The price to land McLeod and prospect Ty Tullio was high, though, as Sabres GM Kevyn Adams sent Matt Savoie to Edmonton.
Savoie, 20, was selected by the Sabres with the ninth overall pick of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. The expectation was that he would be a long-term part of the Sabres' top six, as he is a highly skilled player who has dominated at the junior level. However, the Sabres still felt he was expendable for McLeod and Tullio.
While there is no question that the Sabres needed a 3C, and McLeod should be a solid addition to their group, parting ways with Savoie was incredibly risky for the Sabres. Savoie has excellent upside and will be put in a position to succeed with the Oilers.
The Oilers will provide Savoie with some fantastic offensive weapons once he jumps up to the NHL, like Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Evan Bouchard. They should help create plenty of opportunities for Savoie.
In addition, Savoie's stats this past season show that he is continuing to trend in the right direction with his development. In 34 WHL games in 2023-24, he posted 30 goals and 71 points. He also showed promise while with the Rochester Americans, posting two goals and five points in six games.
Savoie is a promising young forward who has been given a golden opportunity to play on an offensively dominant Oilers team. If he develops into a top-six forward in Edmonton, the Sabres could regret moving him big time.