Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams deserves high praise early in the season for acquiring one player who’s been a pleasant surprise so far. I mentioned this player earlier, but after eight games, they’re proving to be even more of a steal.
That player is a top ranking star, whose trade from Edmonton in exchange for Matt Savoie raised some eyebrows. While I liked the deal, even with Savoie’s high potential, it’s one I might have criticized a year ago.
Although he hasn’t excelled in faceoffs, physicality, or puck-stealing as expected, he’s been impressive as a scorer. He has four goals and an assist, totaling five points in eight games.
He also has a plus-4 rating and has been on the ice for nine even-strength goals, resulting in an on-ice shooting percentage of 18.4%. He’s achieving this with a 39.7% offensive zone start percentage, a Corsi For of 47.6, and an on-ice save percentage of 91.3—all impressive stats.
So far, so good for Ryan McLeod’s short time in a Buffalo Sabres uniform
Although McLeod hasn’t been featured on the Sabres’ power play, he’s made an impact on their penalty kill. He’s been on the ice for a short-handed goal and has only allowed one goal while defending with the short-handed unit.
It’s still early in the season, and some fans may argue that eight games isn’t enough to judge a player. I agree—we can’t fully evaluate a newcomer after such a small sample size and conclude they’re a steal.
However, the focus of this piece isn’t to make a definitive judgment, which is why I used the phrase “looks like” in the headline. McLeod is showing signs of being a valuable asset, but we’ll need to see if he can sustain this level of performance throughout the season before determining if he’s a long-term keeper for the Sabres or if they won this trade.
As for Savoie, he’s still developing in the AHL, where he’s having a solid season with the Bakersfield Condors.
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