Former player of the Buffalo Sabres Matthew Savoie skates during an NHL gamePhoto credit: NHL

Secrets have been revealed regarding the recent trade that saw the Buffalo Sabres ship Matthew Savoie to the Edmonton Oilers.

According to Buffalo insider Lance Lysowski, the reason the Sabres were so eager to trade Savoie, ultimately to Edmonton for Ryan McLeod and Ty Tullio, was due to his history of injuries, particularly his recurring shoulder problems.

“He has been injured a lot. He’s had shoulder injuries and I wonder if he didn’t get hurt last year after his one NHL game, if he maybe they don’t trade him,” Lysowski on why Sabres dealt Savoie @Sports1440

Savoie has the potential to turn into a fantastic player for the OIlers if he is able to find a way to remain healthy. He only played 3 minutes in the NHL for the Sabres last year before suffering a major injury, however when looking at his junior stats in the WHL, Savoie was one of the top players in the game.

In his 283 career WHL games, he put up an astonishing 103 goals and 160 assists. He was also a top point producer in the playoffs. Imagine the damage he can do playing in a lineup that includes Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

Matthew Savoie’s time in the WHL is over.

His career stats:

Regular Season
183 GP • 103 G • 160 A • 263 P

Playoffs
52 GP • 28 G • 41 A • 69 P

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Patience will be needed by the Oilers and their fans to see how this trade turns out in the long run, but if Savoie can stay healthy, it will be a huge win for Oilers nation.