The Buffalo Sabres acquired forward Ryan McLeod in a trade with the Edmonton Oilers on Friday, getting an established NHL player who just experienced a long 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 had four goals in 24 playoff games as Edmonton got to the Stanley Cup Final before losing to Florida.
McLeod is signed for $2.1 million for next season. The Sabres, moments after making the trade, re-signed defenseman Henri Jokiharju to a one-year contract worth $3.1 million.
They have not 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. It is so far his only game at that level after splitting time last season in junior hockey and the minors.
Buffalo goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and recent trade acquisition Beck Malenstyn were among the 14 players who elected salary arbitration, a list that includes New York Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren and Carolina forwards Martin Necas and Jack Drury.
In other moves, the Seattle Kraken agreed to terms with restricted free agent Eeli Tolvanen on a two-year contract worth $6.95 million. He will count $3.475 million against the salary cap through the ’25-26 season.
A first-round pick by Nashville in 2017, Tolvanen found a home in Seattle after the Kraken claimed him off waivers early in the 2022-23 season. Tolvanen has played primarily on a line with Yanni Gourde and Oliver Bjorkstrand and has 32 goals and 36 assists in 129 games with 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 Calder Trophy winner as rookie of the year in 2022-23, 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 posting 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 its first-rounder to his entry-level contract, a three-year deal for No. 17 pick Terik Parascak that counts $975,000 against the cap annually.
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