The Edmonton Oilers face the Buffalo Sabres on Monday night at KeyBank Center, and this one’s personal. Not for the organization, not for the coaching staff, but for Matt Savoie—the young forward who gets to show his former team exactly what they traded away.

Let’s be honest about the Ryan McLeod trade. When CEO/at-the-time acting GM Jeff Jackson swapped McLeod straight up for Savoie last summer, the hockey world saw it as a cap dump. Edmonton needed financial flexibility, Buffalo needed a proven NHL center, and both teams got what they wanted. Except one team got significantly more.

Ryan McLeod’s having a solid season in Buffalo. He’s a responsible two-way center who kills penalties, wins faceoffs at a 52 percent clip, and just posted a career-high 53 points last year. He signed a four-year, $20 million extension, and the Sabres are happy with what they got. McLeod does everything you want from a third-line center. He’s reliable, he’s versatile, and at 25 years old, you know exactly what you’re getting.

Matt Savoie is 21 years old, and nobody knows what his ceiling is yet. That’s the point.

Savoie went ninth overall in 2022 for a reason. He put up 90 points in 59 WHL games that season—including 30 goals and 71 points in just 34 games during his draft year. His hockey IQ is only growing alongside Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman. His vision and playmaking ability are the kind of skills scouts dream about. At 5-foot-9, he’ll never be a physical force, but neither was Martin St. Louis. The kid can flat-out play.

Here’s the difference: McLeod at 25 is what he is—a good third-liner making $5 million per season. Savoie at 21 could become anything. He could be Edmonton’s second-line center for the next decade. He could be the dynamic playmaker who extends this Stanley Cup window for more than just two years with smart trades. He’s cost-controlled on an entry-level deal, learning from Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl every single day, and developing into exactly what this organization needs as it tries to sustain success in a salary cap league.

Buffalo chose the known quantity. Edmonton bet on potential. And tonight, Savoie gets his chance to prove Buffalo wrong.

The Sabres are desperate, sitting 29th in goal differential and struggling to keep pucks out of their net. They just snapped a five-game losing streak with an emotional comeback against Detroit. They’re vulnerable, especially at home, where inconsistency has plagued them all season. This is exactly the kind of game where a young player can make a statement.

For Savoie, this isn’t just another road game in November. It’s a chance to show Buffalo’s front office, their coaching staff, and their fans what they gave up when they prioritized immediate help over long-term upside. McLeod’s a fine player—Savoie could be special.

The Oilers need two points tonight to stay competitive in a tight Western Conference race. But Matt Savoie needs this game for something bigger. He needs to prove that Edmonton made the right call, that patience and development beat immediate gratification, and that the kid Buffalo traded away is going to haunt them for years to come.