Buffalo Sabres fans declaring a win in trade with the Edmonton Oilers

When Edmonton traded for Matt Savoie, it was his high-end offensive potential to become a top-six forward and future core-player on which they bet.

Also, Edmonton's prospect pool was among the weakest in the league, and they were looking to bolster its prospect pipeline.

The deal was a classic 'win-now' versus 'win-later' move, with the results depending on the players' future performance and development.

Well, for the Oilers, Savoie has been used up and down the lineup, in the top six, top nine, and on the fourth line, and has yet to find consistency in his game. He has, of course, been getting good scoring chances, but has yet to convert, with 1A in 10 games played.

Ryan McLeod, on the other hand, secured himself a new contract and new responsibilities with the Sabres, following a 53 point season last year; and this year, he has 6 points in 9 games played.

Ryan has stepped-up his game since the trade, playing as 1st-line centre, as well as being a defensive specialist, who happens to score some goals.

Matt Savoie, despite his need to develop still, has shown why the Oilers consider him a big part of its future. He has generated scoring chances and has been strong on the defensive side of the puck when needed, skating hard and demonstrating is an excellent work ethic.

When Edmonton acquired Matt, it was with the intention of developing him for the future based on his upside. I have no doubt that he will be a regular on this team; it's just a question of when.