Matt Savoie, the No. 9 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, was traded to the Edmonton Oilers from the Buffalo Sabres on Friday for Ryan McLeod and Tyler Tullio.
The 20-year-old center, who played one NHL game last season with his debut on Nov. 10, 2023, had five points (two goals, three assists) in six games for Rochester of the American Hockey League in 2023-24. He also had 24 points (11 goals, 13 assists) in 11 games for Wenatchee and 47 points (19 goals, 28 assists) in 23 games for Moose Jaw of the Western Hockey League.
Savoie, the No. 1 pick of the 2019 WHL Draft, had 95 points (38 goals, 57 assists) in 62 games for Winnipeg of the WHL in 2022-23.
McLeod had 30 points (12 goals, 18 assists) for the Oilers last season. The 24-year-old center had four goals in 24 Stanley Cup Playoff games for Edmonton, which lost to the Florida Panthers in seven games in the Stanley Cup Final.
McLeod, the No. 40 pick by the Oilers in the 2018 NHL Draft, has 75 points (32 goals, 43 assists) in 219 NHL games, and 13 points (seven goals, six assists) in 56 playoff games.
Tullio was selected in the fifth round (No. 126) of the 2020 NHL Draft by Edmonton. The 22-year-old forward had 21 points (nine goals, 12 assists) for Bakersfield of the AHL last season. He has yet to make his NHL debut.
The Sabres also signed defenseman Henri Jokiharju to a one-year, $3.1 million contract Friday.
The 25-year-old defenseman, who had been a restricted free agent, had an NHL career-high 20 points (three goals, 17 assists) in 74 games with Buffalo last season.
Selected by the Chicago Blackhawks with the No. 29 pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, Jokiharju has 87 points (16 goals, 71 assists) in 347 games for the Blackhawks and Sabres.
