The Buffalo Sabers acquired forward Ryan McLeod in a trade with the Edmonton Oilers on Friday, acquiring an established NHL player who just had a deep playoff run in exchange for one of the organization’s top prospects.
Buffalo received McLeod and minor leaguer Tyler Tullio from the Western Conference champions for 20-year-old center Matthew Savoie. McLeod scored four goals in 24 playoff games as Edmonton reached the Stanley Cup Final before losing to Florida.
McLeod signed for $2.1 million for next season. The Sabres, moments after making the trade, re-signed defenseman Henri Jokiharju to a one-year, $3.1 million contract.
They haven’t made the playoffs since 2011, a 13-year drought that is the longest of any team in the league.
Savoie was the ninth pick in the 2022 draft and made his NHL debut in November. So far, it’s his only game at that level after splitting time last season in junior hockey and the minors.
In other action, the Seattle Kraken agreed to terms with restricted free agent Eeli Tolvanen on a two-year, $6.95 million contract. He will count $3.475 million against the salary cap during the 2025-26 season.
A first-round pick by Nashville in 2017, Tolvanen found a home in Seattle after the Kraken claimed him off waivers at the start of the 2022-23 season. Tolvanen has played primarily on a line with Yanni Gourde and Oliver Bjorkstrand and has scored 32 goals and 36 assists in 129 games for the team over the past two seasons.
Last season, Tolvanen set career highs with 41 points and 25 assists.
Tolvanen’s signing leaves center Matty Beniers as Seattle’s only remaining restricted free agent. Beniers, the 2022-23 Calder Trophy rookie of the year winner, had a disappointing second full season with Seattle, with 37 points in 77 games.
Seattle also signed first-round pick Berkly Catton to a three-year entry-level contract. Catton was selected with the No. 8 pick in last month’s draft after scoring 116 points (54 goals, 62 assists) in 68 regular-season games for the Spokane Chiefs of the Western Hockey League last season.
Washington also signed the first round of his entry-level contract, a three-year deal for No. 17 pick Terik Parascak that counts $975,000 against the annual cap hit.
